Discussion Question: Historically, there have been numerous successful and failed technology product launches that have taken place as a result of the appropriate or inadequate amount of due diligence and planning that took place to create or understand the need for this type of development. Use the Web to identify a technology or application that had a successful or failed product launch and adoption. Discuss what factors (e.g. such as medical concerns, environmental impact, public opinion, political implications, regulatory implications, etc.) were essential for the success or failure of the technology or application.

4 replies total, minimum 75 words each. Thank you

Student M:

Microsoft has had it’s share of failed products, but the one I really like was the Zune. The Zune was Microsoft’s answer to the IPod because it was going to be the game changer for the digital music player. The plan was great; Microsoft had a subscription plan where they would give you ten free songs a month along with their catalog of music. Microsoft was already behind Apple when they released the Zune to the market. Microsoft had a better product when they came out with the Zune HD because it was put together better with HD quality video and internet access. Microsoft also included in their music swapping applications the option for sharing music between Zune users. Using this, you could share a new songs or albums. The problem with Zune was its apps and music swapping only lasting three days. The music industry fought hard and won to keep the this primary function from being able to transfer music to who you want and they would have your music. This helped to stick the fork into the Zune, without this function it lost one of it’s selling point. Looking back, it was great product overall, however Zune entered the marketplace too late game.

Reference:

Bawany, A.(2011) Why did the iPod succeed while the Zune failed. Retrieved from https://www.quora.com/Why-did-the-iPod-succeed-while-the-Zune-failed

Manjoo, F. (2012) The Flop That Saved Microsoft. Retrieved from http://betanews.com/2011/03/14/ipod-didn-t-kill-zune-microsoft-did/

Wilcox, J. (2011) iPod didn't kill Zune Microsoft did. Retrieved from http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2012/10/microsoft_zune_how_one_of_the_biggest_flops_in_tech_history_helped_revive.html

Student J:

There are always many products that make it all the way to production but then just eat the dust once on the market. Remembering a time before DVD’s and CD’s there was a product called Betamax. Growing up my family always had both Betamax and VHS but eventually all we had was VHS and the Betamax just went away. Upon researching this assignment, I finally got to answer an old childhood question I had forgotten about. Sony originally came out with Beta in 1975 but in 1976 JVC came out with VHS to begin the format war. (Khadder, 2016) The Betamax was a better quality product but that drove the price up. Sony was the only manufacturer for their product, unlike JVC who licensed the VHS out for any manufacturer and that is where Sony lost. (B, 2014) Since JVC licensed to any manufacture more of them were being made because the movie companies were all competing for them which drove the price down for the average consumer and so more people had them. (B, 2014) Eventually in 1988 Sony finally gave up and conceded to the VHS. Marketing is one of the biggest factors I believe that comes into launching a new product and if you do not do it right then you fail. After Marketing a company needs to have a competitive price. With the case of Betamax, you might have a better product but if you are too expensive then eventually you are going to fail especially when another company has the same product at a lower price.

References

B, T. (2014, June 19). Why did the VHS beat the BetaMax? Why Should We Care? Retrieved August 19, 2016, from Team B: http://teambmarketing.com/design/why-did-the-vhs-beat-the-betamax-why-should-we-care/

Khadder, Z. F. (2016). The 20 Worst Product Failures. Retrieved August 19, 2016, from Sales HQ: http://saleshq.monster.com/news/articles/2655-the-20-worst-product-failures#comment_form

Student N:

Many successful businesses try to expand their company by creating a new product to sell on the market. Some of these new products are successful while others are not. One of these failed products was the Google Glass, introduced in 2012 and sold the beta version as "Explorers". There are several reasons that the Google Glass failed but one of the biggest is that it wasn't as useful as expected. Glass was able to take videos, help navigate with turn by turn directions, make phone calls, and surf the web but it wasn't able to do these things very well (Metz, 2014). Privacy was another major concern in regards to this product. Many people were afraid of being easily recorded without their consent and dubbed these explorers as "Glassholes" who would invade peoples privacy (Oreskovic, 2014). Google itself can be blamed for their products failure because the company did not adequately explain why people needed this device or what problem it solves (Altman, 2015). Most people are not interesting in spending a significant amount of money on a device that really doesn't do anything that useful and the few things it can do is already done by existing products.

References:

Altman, I. (2015, April 28). Why Google Glass Failed And Why Apple Watch Could Too. Forbes Leadership Review. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/ianaltman/2015/04/28/why-google-glass-failed-and-why-apple-watch-could-too/#711b613e58ec.

Metz, R. (2014, November 26). Google Glass Is Dead; Long Live Smart Glasses. MIT Technology Review. Retrieved from https://www.technologyreview.com/s/532691/google-glass-is-dead-long-live-smart-glasses/.

Oreskovic, A. (2014, November 14). Google Glass future clouded as some early believers lose faith. Reuters Technology News. Retrieved from http://www.reuters.com/article/us-google-glass-insight-idUSKCN0IY18E20141114..

Student W:

When talking about failed products, I love researching old cars. There are so many examples of companies taking huge risks in attempts to gain an advantage over their competition. I chose the fail Ford Edsel. Starting mid 1950s, ford polled thousands of customers and asked what their perfect car would be. In all their wisdom, Ford decided their customers had no idea what they wanted and instead designed a car that could be configured 18 different ways. Those included; coupe, sedan, convertible etc. Ford tried to make a car for everyone. They also used a year long ad campaign promoting how life changing this car would be. When it released in 1957, the Edsel failed to appeal to any customer. Ford didn't listen to any of the suggestions by their customers, they build what they thought would be the car of the future.

In the end, the Edsel failed to deliver anything that was promised. It wasn't visually appealing, it wasn't revolutionary in design, it wasn't the fastest or the most fuel efficient. It was different, no denying that, but sometimes different isn't good. Ford's Edsel is a prime example of giving the consumer what they want and not trying to predict what they will want.

References:

Deaton, Jamie Paige. (2016) Why the Ford Edsel Failed. Retrieved from http://auto.howstuffworks.com/why-the-ford-edsel-failed.htm

Feloni, Richard. (2015) 4 lessons from the failure of the Ford Edsel, one of Bill Gates' favorite case studies. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/lessons-from-the-failure-of-the-ford-edsel-2015-9

Hamer, Tony and Michele. (2016) The Edsel - A Legacy of Failure. Retrieved from http://classiccars.about.com/od/classiccarsaz/a/Edsel.htm

Unit IV Essay

Write an essay outlining the proper water flow requirements for an NFPA 25 fire protection system (FPS) that is installed within a general purpose assembly (e.g., auditorium).

Your response must be at least one page in length, double spaced, and 12-point Times New Roman font. All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying APA citations.

Just to help clear up some confusion on the Unit IV essay.

I can see the confusion in the question.

For this essay, discuss the requirements in general, do not worry about flow formulas and such.

Also for some general info: