How are businesses responding to global changes in markets driven by changes in technology? Whatever the industry, the trends are familiar: globalization and the rise of industrial conglomerates, mergers and acquisitions, the networking of businesses and markets, outsourcing and shifts in the distribution of resources and production, all reflected in the emergence of new players, new products and services and new forms of competition. As arguably the first knowledge-based business, book publishing provides an ideal setting for the study of challenge and opportunity. The industry is currently experiencing fierce levels of competition, extreme financial pressures, restructuring and the threat of technology-induced obsolescence. Added to these are the challenges posed by new and potential entrants to the market, the emergence of new products and services, new ways of doing business, including trading in virtual markets, and the vulnerability of traditional business models. The suitability of book publishing as a context for researching the emergence of knowledge-based business becomes all too apparent. Through combining primary research with secondary analysis drawn from the relevant literatures, Books, Bytes and Business is both a readable and informative account of business in the knowledge-based economy.

While the importance of writing has often been recognized, the role of books and especially that of libraries has just as often been slighted. Knowledge, once generated, has to be communicated, preserved, and accessible. Books in their varying formats—from clay tablets to scrolls and manuscripts to pixels—have been instrumental in spreading knowledge, although relatively little attention has been given to the story of books themselves. A Social History of Books and Libraries from Cuneiform to Bytes traces the roles of books and libraries throughout recorded history and explores their social and cultural importance within differing societies and changing times. It presents the history of books from clay tablets to e-books and the history of libraries, whether built of bricks or bytes. Following an introduction that sets the theoretical basis for the historical importance of books and libraries, chapters alternate between the history of the book and the history of libraries. Included within the chapters are short excursions on some particular development, such as book emblems or cataloging. Case studies are given as thematic illustrations of libraries everywhere. Patrick M. Valentine argues that social and cultural forces have been more influential in determining the nature and status of information, books, and libraries than has technology. But A Social History of Books and Libraries is far from a jeremiad against technology; rather it presents history within the subtle yet shifting context of time and place. Although written primarily for librarians and library students, it will also be of interest to a wider audience of scholars and those interested in books, libraries, and cultural history.

The oil and gas industry is at a crossroads. Recent low prices, rapidly growing alternative fuels like renewables, the permanent swing from peak oil to super abundance, shifting consumer preferences, and global pressures to decarbonize suggest a challenged industry for the foreseeable future. Digital advances offer ways to lower costs of production, improve productivity, reduce carbon emissions, and regain public confidence. A wait-and-see attitude to digital innovation has failed many industries already, and the leaders of oil and gas urgently need guidance on how digital both disrupts and enhances their industry. Written by the world's leading experts on the intersection of digital technologies and the oil and gas industry, Bits, Bytes, and Barrels sets out the reasons why adoption is slow, describes the size and scale of both the opportunity and the threat from digital, identifies the key digital technologies and the role that they play in a digital future, and recommends a set of actions for leaders to take to accelerate the adoption of digital in the business. Providing an independent and expert perspective, Bits, Bytes, and Barrels addresses the impacts of digital across the breadth of the industry--from onshore to offshore, from upstream to midstream to integrated--and outlines a roadmap to help the decision-makers at all levels of the industry take meaningful action toward promising and rewarding digital adoption.

A dictionary of computer terms explaining parts, functions, and useful jargon.

This document brings together a set of latest data points and publicly available information relevant for Business Services Industry. We are very excited to share this content and believe that readers will benefit from this periodic publication immenseiy.

This document brings together a set of latest data points and publicly available information relevant for Business Services Industry. We are very excited to share this content and believe that readers will benefit from this periodic publication immensely.

The Writer's Journal Workbook is a lively prompt for creative writers looking for help in setting themselves regular creative tasks, goals and challenges. Packed with step-by-step activities, advice and suggestions, the writer is guided through practical exercises and encouraged to put pen to paper. Are you stuck in a writing rut and don't know how to move forward? Do you lack a daily routine and need a structure to set daily or weekly writing time for yourself? Do you want somewhere to gather your writing ideas and scribbles together in one place? This workbook is the perfect place for the budding writer who wants a spark of inspiration, to sharpen their ideas and perfect their skills at their own pace. The workbook is composed around a series of have-a-go exercises with ample space (double spread) for the user to write and doodle in. This Journal Workbook will become the must-have companion for creatives on the go.

Instructs the Professional Looking to Buy a Microcomputer

Revenue decreased less than 1 percent to $1.46 billion for the fourth quarter of 2019. EPS decreased 41 percent to $2.74 for the fourth quarter of 2019, negatively impacted by ($0.65) in restructuring and strategic transaction costs. Core EPS decreased 29 percent to $4.12 and adjusted EBITDA, net decreased 39 percent to $278 million for the fourth quarter of 2019. EPS, core EPS and adjusted EBITDA were negatively impacted by a 59 percent decrease in earnings before taxes at Card Services. Full year result LoyaltyOne®: Constant currency revenue increased 1 percent to $1.08 billion while constant currency adjusted EBITDA was flat at $253 million for 2019. AIR MILES® reward miles issued increased less than 1 percent for 2019. Changes to the collector value proposition during 2019 are expected to stimulate issuance growth in 2020. BrandLoyalty returned to double-digit adjusted EBITDA growth for the year as a result of better program mix and cost containment initiatives undertaken in 2019. Card Services: Revenue decreased 1 percent to $4.55 billion due to nominal growth in normalized receivables coupled with a 50 basis points decline in gross yields. Adjusted EBITDA, net decreased 25 percent to $1.12 billion for 2019, primarily a result of an additional $90 million negative adjustment to the carrying value of held-for-sale receivables and a $172 million increase to the loan loss provision, as principal loss rates stabilized in 2019 as compared to improving in 2018. Net principal loss rates were 6.1 percent in 2019, 3 basis points better than 2018, while delinquency rates increased slightly to 5.8 percent at December 31, 2019 primarily due to the turn of receivables acquired in the second quarter of 2019