Introduction to e-Business
Generally, music piracy can be explained as the intentional contravention of copyright as well as trademarks for business benefit. Music piracy can take place in two forms: internet piracy and physical piracy. Physical piracy is further classified into three categories: simple piracy, which entails packaging of the pirated copy differently from the original copy; counterfeits, which entails packaging the pirated copy similar to the original copy. This is done by reproducing the trademark of the record company to deceive customers that they are getting an original copy; and lastly, bootlegs, which is illegal recording of broadcast or live performances. On the other hand, internet piracy entails posting and transmitting music that has been compressed through the internet illegally. This is usually done through the email, websites and peer to peer file transfer. Advancement of technology has made it difficult in handling internet piracy, (MIPI, 2009, pp. 1-4).
Studies indicate that, the music industry has been growing at a decreasing rate lately. One of the major contributions for the observed negative growth for this industry is the rampant free downloads of music without the permission of owners of these music. Thus, the industry is no longer generating enough revenues to offset the costs that are involved in the entire process of music production as well as marketing. It is also very discouraging to the artists because they do not get enough from the sale of their music, (MIPI, 2009, pp. 1-4). In fact, research indicates that, in Australia more than three million people illegally download music from the internet yearly. Almost 90% of these individuals never go on to legally purchase this music. This is evident that the music industry is losing a lot due to music piracy, which is why it has become a major concern to this industry.
What are smartphones, and how do they differ from the previous generation of mobile phones? What does this mean for marketing?
There is no accurate depiction of a smartphone. However, they can be generally described as mobile phones which have both computer and GSM mobile phone features. Precisely, the functions of a mobile phone and that of a computer have been combined into one transportable gadget. The unique feature of the smartphones is their ability to be programmed like a personal data assistant (PDA). There are significant differences between smartphones and the previous generations of mobile phones. For instances, besides making calls, smartphones can also be used to perform other functions such as accessing the web. They also have an operating system which permits them to run output functions. Unlike the ordinary phones, smartphones have QWERTY keyboard; which has keys that have been laid out similar to the computer keyboard, which can either be hardware or software, (Cassavoy, 2010, pp. 1-5).
Unlike in the past, the new technology that has been applied in smartphones has enhanced marketers in marketing their products. With the internet capabilities as well as high speed internet, marketers can easily access their customers wherever they are and at whatever time. Studies indicate that, since the introduction of the smartphones, companies using the internet in marketing their products have registered considerable increase in their sales. This is based on the claim that, most individuals consider smartphones as being information seeking and shopping gadgets, (Pual & Dave, 2005, pp. 19-22). Thus, internet marketing has become viable and cheaper for the marketers has they can access many potential customers without necessarily physically locating them.
What are tablet computers, and what do they mean for marketing?
A tablet computer is a portable, wireless computer which is bigger than a PDA or smartphone, with a touch screen interface as the input device and a modified desktop operating system. Instead of a physical keyboard, it uses an onscreen virtual keyboard. They are of different fashions: a convertible fashion, which its displays can be rotated in 180 degrees; a slate fashion which has applications incorporated into the touch screen unit; and lastly, the hybrid fashion which resembles an ordinary notebook, only that it has a display which is removable as for the case of a slate.
Like in the case of smartphones, tablet computers are contributing positively to marketing. For instance, the tablet can be used for emailing, financial calculations, information storage, as well as creating excel, word and powerPoint documents. Thus, it can be used in various business functions. Within the context of marketing, tablet technology acts as an opportunity for marketers to expand their sales, (Pual & Dave, 2005, pp. 23-27). For instance, marketers can strategize on how they can make use of the applications of the tablet to access their customers. This could include advertising their products on the internet. With the tablet, the owners are able to access the internet from wherever they are. Thus, if marketers can place adverts on the internet, there have high chances of increasing their sales by reaching many potential customers from various places.
Works Cited
Cassavoy, L. What Makes a Smartphone Smart? 2010. Retrieved on 11th august 2011 from
http://cellphones.about.com/od/smartphonebasics/a/what_is_smart.htm
MIPI. What is Music Piracy? 2009. Retrieved on 11th august 2011 from
http://www.mipi.com.au/About-Piracy/What-is-music-piracy/
Pual, R.S & Dave, C. e-Marketing Excellence: The Heart of e-Business. New York: EBH, 2005.
