211 research outputs found
Building Stronger Communities Through Sustained Activism
No full textWhen it comes to human rights and social justice activism in the United States, it’s hard to find a cause in which Helen Zia hasn’t been directly involved.
An award-winning journalist and author, Zia is a second-generation Chinese-American and through her decades-long career has worked on issues ranging from Asian-American civil rights to LGBTQ+ issues to labor rights and more.
On April 17th, 2023, Zia shared stories from her lifetime of activism, sustaining social movements for the long term, and challenging the model-minority myth in a presentation titled “Building Stronger Communities Through Sustained Activism.”
The event, held Gonzaga University’s Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center at 6 p.m., was free and open to the public, and was sponsored by GU’s Asian American Union, Filipino American Student Union, the Critical Race and Ethnic Studies department, and the Office of the President. This is the second time Zia has shared her thoughts and perspectives with the Gonzaga community as she presented via a Zoom event in 2021.
Born in Newark, New Jersey, Zia was part of Princeton University’s first coeducational graduating class. She started medical school, but quit soon thereafter to move to Detroit to work as an autoworker, construction laborer and community organizer. She found a passion for journalism roughly at the same time a local Chinese American man, Vincent Chin, was killed in a racially-motivated assault. Her coverage drew attention to the ways that Asian Americans are targeted.
Zia went on to become executive editor of Ms. magazine and a regular contributor to outlets ranging from The New York Times to The Nation to The Advocate. Her first book, “Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of an American People,” was published in 2000, and her most recent book, 2019’s “Last Boat Out of Shanghai: The Epic Story of Those Who Fled Mao’s Revolution,” was named one of NPR’s best books of the year
Apparent bias: the inclusion of police officers on the jury and Article 6.1 of the Human Rights Act
Get PDFIn this article Zia Akhtar (Barrister, Grays Inn) looks at the jury trial and the inclusion of members of the police force that may lead to a breach of Article 6 of the Human Rights Act 1998. The author explains tests for determination of bias, the role of judicial discretion and the consideration of conflicts of interest
Dr. Zia Ul Hassan: Poetic and Literary Dimensions
No full textDr. Zia-ul-Hasan (b. 1964) first gained recognition as a poet. Before the 1990s, during the twentieth century, the literary circle Halqa-e-Arbab-e-Zouq had already acknowledged the maturity of his poetry. His poetic collections, including Bar-e-Musalsal (1996), Adhi Bhook aur Puri Galiyan (2007), and Azal Se (2014), have earned widespread acclaim. His poetry embodies the elements of asceticism, mysticism, and a wandering spirit. During his M.A., he wrote a critical thesis on the poetry of N.M. Rashed, which later formed the basis of the Pakistani Adab ke Mimar series on Rashed's life and work. His doctoral dissertation, titled Urdu Tanqeed ka Umrani Dabistan (The Sociological School of Urdu Criticism), was published by the West Pakistan Academy, Lahore. Dr. Zia-ul-Hasan served as a professor of Urdu literature at Oriental College, Punjab University. His teaching philosophy aimed to connect students directly with original texts and encourage them to form independent opinions before consulting critics, fostering a deep and enduring relationship with literary study. This essay is a humble attempt by the author, who had the privilege of learning from Dr. Zia-ul-Hasan as both a student and a colleague, to capture a glimpse of his poetic themes and metaphors. It reflects a sincere effort to explore the depth of Dr. Zia-ul-Hasan’s literary contributions
The changing patterns of Bangladesh foreign policy: a comparative study of the Mujib and Zia regimes (1971-1981), 1995
Get PDFThis study has highlighted the changes in Bangladesh foreign policy during the Mu jib and Zia regimes. It has uncovered the fact that the foreign policy of the Sheikh Mu jib regime was shaped by the principles of the national liberation war of Bangladesh (secularism and socialism) although the post-liberation reality demanded the supremacy of the national interest in the foreign policy formulation of the new nation. Because of Mujib's central priority on the principles of the national liberation war, his foreign policy was tilted towards India and the Soviet Union, as the two key international actors of Bangladesh's national liberation war. Due to their skeptical role in the liberation war the United States, China, and the Muslim world were kept away from the preferential treatment. As the Indo-Soviet allies failed to meet the emerging needs and growing economic crisis, Mujib's foreign policy failed to achieve the national interest and it proved dysfunctional. On the other hand, following the eclipse of the Mu jib regime and at the beginning of the Zia era, a thaw began in the foreign policy decision-making process of Bangladesh. Ziaur Rahman considered the national interest as a vantage point and put top priority on it (self preservation, economic advancement, safe-guarding as well as augmenting national power and upholding national ideology). In order to achieve the national interest Zia very promptly transformed Bangladesh's foreign policy from the Indo-Soviet orbit, got rid of the socialist yoke, and aligned with the United States, China, and the Muslim world triangle . Zia1s redesigned foreign policy has successfully explored sufficient external resources to meet the mounting economic crisis and to a great extent contributed to the economic development of Bangladesh. Although the Indo-Soviet threat was posed to the state under Zia, the new alliance of the United States, China, and the Muslim world effectively forestalled the threat and the national interest was served better than during the Mujib regime
introducing and checking style of zia al Zia al-Kūlub Fī Akhlaq al-Matlub a new discovered prose effect of imitate Sa'di's Golestan
No full textThere are many texts on ethical issues that each has been trying to save human values and ethical virtues . Among these works, the valuable book of Zia al-Kūlub Fī Akhlaq al-Matlub is written by Seyyed Mohammad Zia al-Din Hosseini Mazandarani Esfahani known as Hosseini Marashi , which in the eleventh century was drafted into prose and ordered to imitate Sa'di's Golestan . Zia al-Kalwb Fī Akhlaq al-Mutlaub is a detailed book on moral issues based on Qur'anic verses, verses, stories and poems written by Shah Abbas I Safavi , written in one title and two phrases, each in several phrases .The author has not been named in any texts.The research suggests that for the first time, this research attemted to introduce the present effect with the depth of its effect to recognize , its linguistic, intellectual and literary values, relying on the underlying cognitive style to make this valuable work more visible . Since this book has not yet been corrected or ornamented, the study of its style from the complementary rings is a kind of Persian prose style in the Safavid era
The effect of demographic changes on saving for life cycle motives in developing countries
Get PDFIf developing countries follow the same paths that industrialized countries have followed, saving for retirement will initially become more important as the population growth rate declines. To calculate the potential importance of life-cycle savings (saving for retirement), the paper presents a simulation model that translates demographic projections into savings-rate projections. It simulated aggregate rates for life-cycle savings for Brazil, China, Korea, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey. The savings rates increase 5 or 6 percentage points when the last baby boomers enter the work force and begin to save after their children leave home. The effect on life-cycle savings is dramatic; the effect on total savings rates which are often three or four times as high, is not. Simulated life-cycle savings rates peak at an absolute 10 percent or less in all cases. The patterns of these projections seem robust with regard to assumptions about productivity growth, interest rates, and age-specific participation in the labor force.Banks&Banking Reform,Environmental Economics&Policies,Economic Theory&Research,Health Monitoring&Evaluation,Inequality
Calicnemia fortis Dow, Zia, Naeem & Rafi, 2014, sp. nov.
No full textCalicnemia fortis sp. nov. (Figs. 1 – 7) Type material. Holotype: ♂ (ODO/ZYG/ 217), Pakistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Muzaffarabad, Noseri, 11 v 2005, leg. S. A. Zia, deposited in the National Insect Museum, Islamabad, Pakistan. Paratype: ♂ (ODO/ZYG/ 218), data as holotype. Etymology. The species is named fortis, an adjective, meaning robust, referring to the strong build and relatively large size of the species. Description of holotype male. Head: labium dark brown. Labrum black, clypeus black except for 2 small pale, widely separated spots on postclypeus. Mandible bases black. Genae dark brown adjacent to mandible bases, elsewhere dark with irregular pale markings. An indistinct pale area at junction of frons and clypeus, frons otherwise matte black, vertex and occiput same, antennae with scape and pedicel black with brown sections at top, flagellum missing. Ocelli yellowish. Thorax (Fig. 1): Prothorax matte black with grey pruinesence covering most of propleuron, anterior lobe of pronotum and lateral anterior part of middle lobe. Synthorax matte black except for a narrow irregular yellowish stripe on metepisternum, broadest near legs where extending slightly onto mesepimeron, running above and over spiracle, tapering toward but not reaching antealar carina. A broad, irregular yellow stripe occupies much of metepimeron. Legs with coxae pale with obscure dark areas anteriorly and laterally, otherwise mostly dark brown and black with sparse grey pruinosity on trochanters and femora. Wings (Figs. 2 – 3) with 5 postquadrangular cells in Fw, 4 in Hw. 18 Px in Fw, 16 (left) and 15 (right) Px in Hw. Pt pale, covering ca 2 underlying cells, approximately rhombic, but with costal side a little shorter than anal side. Abdomen: S 1 black dorsally, laterally mostly yellow. S 2 mostly black with obscure rusty red markings in apical two thirds. S 3 – 6 red, darkening with each successive segment, black behind posterior carina dorsally and in upper part laterally. S 7 dark red dorsally except at apical extremity, same colour lower laterally, with a poorly defined black stripe between, except in basal ca one-fifth. S 8 black with obscure dark red markings lower laterally and in basal half dorsally. S 9 black except for apical red lower lateral mark. S 10 black. Genital ligula (Fig. 4) typical for group 2 Calicnemia, terminal segment with two broad apical lobes, almost square at ends. Anal appendages of typical form for the genus, as shown in Figs. 5–7 with interior ventral tooth located basally on cercus, bifurcated terminally. Measurements (mm): Abdomen without anal appendages 37, paraprocts ca 1.5; Hw 28.5. Female. Unknown. Variation in paratype male. The paratype male (Fig. 8) does not differ from the holotype in any significant way except that two full length pruinose antehumeral stripes are present, and there is more extensive pruinosity on the prothorax and laterally on the synthorax. Additionally abdominal S 1 – 2 are largely pruinose grey. Measurements (mm): Abdomen without anal appendages 35; Hw 28.5; 18 Px in Fw, 14 (right) or 16 (left) Px in Hw. Diagnosis. A robust group 2 Calicnemia with synthorax black with yellow lateral marks and abdomen with S 2 – 7 wholly or partly red. Separated from all other species of group 2 of Calicnemia except C. hasik Wilson & Reels, 2003, C. mortoni (Laidlaw, 1917), C. nipalica Kimmins, 1958, C. pulverulans (Selys, 1886) and C. rectangulata Laidlaw, 1932 by the black mesepisternum lacking antehumeral markings or with only pruinose blue antehumeral markings. Distinguished from C. pulverulans by the entirely black abdomen and the more rounded ends of the lobes of the terminal segment of the ligula of that species. Distinguished from C. hasik by more extensive red colouration on the abdomen, broader lobes of the terminal segment of the ligula and shorter tooth on the cercus in lateral view. C. rectangulata differs in the extent of the red markings in the abdomen and in having a much larger tooth on the cercus, very prominent in lateral view. C. nipalica has the terminal segment of the ligula deeply divided. C. mortoni has a longer but less broad tooth on the cercus and the terminal segment of the ligula deeply divided. Remarks. In his PhD thesis (Zia 2010) the second author gave this species a name, Indocnemis ahmedi, and presented a (composite) description, but also issued a disclaimer, citing article 8.2 of the International code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN 2012), to the effect that “description of new species i.e. Indocnemis ahmedi provided in this dissertation is not issued for public and permanent scientific record or for purposes of zoological nomenclature”. The name ahmedi is therefore not available; in any case it would not have been available because no holotype was designated (article 16.4.1). Calicnemis fortis was found flying within tall grassy vegetation around an open spring which runs into a fast flowing stream. Calicnemia eximia was common at the same site. Unfortunately following the devastating earthquake in October 2005 the spring at the type locality dried up, and the species has not been relocated in that area despite repeated searches by the second author in the following three years. However, Zia (2010) lists two additional males from a location in North West Frontier Province of Pakistan. These specimens have not been seen by the first author and in the view of the second author might represent a different species, because they differ quite substantially in colouration and some other characters as well; therefore they are left out of consideration here. The species should be searched for not just in neighbouring regions of Pakistan, but also in the neighbouring Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. In life the markings on the abdomen were pinkish red, becoming darker on S 6–7; in the holotype they have faded considerably with preservation. The colour of the paratype male (Fig. 8) is better preserved than that of the holotype, as is the extensive pruinosity on the thorax and abdominal S 1–2. In the holotype there is no indication of any antehumeral markings, but pruinose antehumeral stripes are present in the paratype. Possibly, as is the case in males of some other Calicnemia species, e.g. C. soccifera Yu & Chen, 2013, yellow antehumeral markings are present in immature individuals but later these markings become completely pruinose (Yu & Chen 2013). In the case of C. fortis, possibly the underlying marking fades completely, leading to the condition now seen in the holotype. Calicnemia fortis comes closest to C. pulverulans, from which it differs principally in the colour of the abdomen and details of the genital ligula. Calicnemia pulverulans has been recorded as far west as the Nanda Devi Bisophere Reserve in Uttar Pradesh, India (Kumar 1997), but this is more than 600 km from the type locality of C. fortis. Differences from C. pulverulans and other species most closely resembling the available material of C. fortis are given in the diagnosis. Considering the remaining species in group 2 of Calicnemia, C. fortis males are easily separated from those of C. chaseni (Laidlaw in Campion & Laidlaw, 1928), C. miles (Laidlaw, 1917), C. miniata (Selys, 1886), C. chaoi Wilson, 2004, and C. zhuae Zhang & Yang, 2008, which have bright red or orange antehumeral stripes as well as differences in the anal appendages and genital ligula; uniquely in the genus C. chaoi possesses amber wings (Wilson 2004). Of three Chinese species with males possessing yellow or pruinosed antehumeral stripes: C. gulinensis Yu & Bu, 2008, C. porcata Yu & Bu, 2008 and C. soccifera, C. soccifera has the terminal segment of the genital ligula with much narrower lobes and legs with a red or yellow femur contrasting with a black tibia. Calicnemia gulinensis has an orange abdomen and far more extensive pale markings on labrum and clypeus and C. porcata differs in the colouration of the head, details of the tooth on the cercus and in the ligula, which bears a distinctive ridge centrally on the terminal segment, and has the lobes almost square ended. This leaves two species that have not been placed in either of Lieftinck’s groups within Calicnemia; these are dealt with below. The species group to which C. uenoi Asahina, 1997, from Vietnam belongs is unclear because Asahina provided no illustration of the ligula. Asahina (1997: 22) stated that C. uenoi is “One of the typical Calicnemia species...”, but judging from the illustrations it seems atypical in the form of the tooth on the cercus, a narrow median spine rather than the robust tooth, normally with a bifid tip, and typically placed more basally, that is usual in Calicnemia. The type series of C. uenoi was deposited in the National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo, Japan, but at the present time it cannot be located (Akihiko Sasamoto and Takuya Kiyoshi, personal communication). However, in the collection of the Naturalis Biodiversity Center (RMNH), Leiden, there is a male labelled as C. uenoi from the area of the type locality, donated from the collection of Matti Hämäläinen and originally collected by Haruki Karube. It is difficult to reconcile the anal appendages of the RMNH specimen with Asahina’s illustrations, and this specimen seems close to C. hasik. When describing C. hasik, Wilson & Reels (2003: 266) commented on Asahina’s description of C. uenoi and, understandably, concluded that their species was distinct; the RMNH specimen suggests that further study of this matter is needed. It is to be hoped that the type series of C. uenoi will become available in the near future. In any case, C. uenoi as illustrated by Asahina is clearly distinguished from C. fortis by the form and position of the tooth on the cercus, and C. hasik and the RMNH specimen differ from C. fortis in the details of the ligula, anal appendages and colouration. Calicnemia sudhaae Mitra, 1994, known from Mizoram in northeast India and which is said (Mitra 2002) to resemble C. pulverulans, does not appear to have been assigned to either species group within Calicnemia. This species is illustrated in Mitra (2002: figs. 54-56) where the ligula appears to have ribbon-like flagellae, an impression confirmed by the text “flagella one pair, long ribbon like with pointed apex” (Mitra 2002: 56). Therefore C. sudhaae belongs to group 1 of Calicnemia and need not be considered further here. The large size and long wing length of this species partly accounts for the high count of postquadrangular cells in C. fortis, a character that Fraser (1933), following Laidlaw (1917), used to separate Calicnemia from Indocnemis Laidlaw, 1917. Recent authors have seldom or never given counts of the postquadrangular cells in their descriptions of Calicnemia species, but the illustration of the Hw of C. chaoi shows 4 postquadrangular cells (Wilson 2004: 429, fig. 21). Lieftinck (1977: 20, 22) stated that C. miniata males from northern India and Nepal examined have 3 – 4 postquadrangular cells and that even the holotype male of C miles has 3 – 3 - 1 / 2 postquadrangular cells. In fact the wing photograph of C. pulverulans in Laidlaw (1917: plate XV, fig. 3), the same publication where Indocnemis was described and where the count of postquadrangular cells was first used to distinguish Calicnemia from Indocnemis, shows almost 4 postquadrangular cells in the left Fw. It is to be hoped that these examples will finally lay to rest the idea that the count of postquadrangular cells is a character of value for distinguishing Calicnemia from related genera. With the addition of C. fortis, Calicnemia consists of 22 named species, unless C. pyrrhosoma Lieftinck, 1984 is recognised; this name persists on some world Odonata checklists although it was established as a junior synonym of C. doonensis Sangal & Tyagi, 1984 by Hämäläinen (1989). Yu & Bu (2008) commented on the extent of variability of markings with age and possibly location in C. sinensis Lieftinck, 1984, and geographical variation in markings may occur in other species, so that caution is needed in separating species based entirely on colour patterns. However, structural differences in ligula and caudal appendages are also often subtle, rendering Calicnemia a difficult genus to work on. As noted by Yu & Chen (2013), some of the Chinese species “seem to be closely related, and more detailed studies are needed to clarify their true relationships”; we can only extend this statement to the whole genus.Published as part of Dow, Rory A., Zia, Ahmed, Naeem, Muhammad & Rafi, Muhammad Ather, 2014, Calicnemia fortis sp. nov. from Pakistan (Odonata: Zygoptera: Platycnemididae), pp. 338-342 in Zootaxa 3869 (3) on pages 338-342, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3869.3.7, http://zenodo.org/record/22935
Renovation Process Challenges and Barriers
No full textThe implementation of Nearly Zero-Energy Buildings (NZEB) renovation packages in Europe needs to be accelerated to meet the decarbonisation goals. To achieve this level of performance, building renovation strategies should shift towards industrialised solutions that incorporate a multitude of passive and active components, increasing the complexity and cost of the execution. Moreover, it requires the involvement of different stakeholders of the building supply chain, resulting in additional difficulties in communication and coordination. To address this challenge, this study aims at mapping the renovation process and at addressing the respective bottlenecks. The objective is to identify the type of information that the stakeholders require during the different renovation phases and provide a framework to structure the workflow between all actors. By structuring the information along the renovation process phases, the different stakeholders can identify when the information can be provided and how the different types of information link to each other.Building Product InnovationDesign of Construtio
Pseudopelmatops continentalis Zia & Chen
No full text<i>Pseudopelmatops continentalis</i> Zia & Chen <p>(Figs. 6, 15, 25, 30, 39, 42, 47)</p> <p> <i>Pseudopelmatops nigricostalis continentalis</i> Zia & Chen, 1954: 310. Type-locality: Tianmushan, Zhejiang; Chongan [not Shao-Woo as originally recorded by Zia & Chen (1954)], Fujian, China. Lectotype male and three paralectotypes designated by Wang, 1996 in IZCAS. <i>—</i> Hardy, 1977: 76. — Wang, 1996: 112.</p> <p> <b>Diagnosis.</b> This species is similar to <i>P. nigricostalis</i> Shiraki in wing markings, but differs by lacking frontal and postsutural supra-alar setae; and femora yellow except the basal 1/2–3/5 dark brown. It also closely resembles <i>P. angustifasciatus</i> in body coloration and chaetotaxy of the head and thorax, but is easily distinguished by having a much broader brownish-black costal band extending proximally to the base of cell r 1 (Fig. 30).</p> <p> <b>Description.</b> Body length 13.5–16.0 mm; wing length 10.5–13.0 mm. The body usually predominantly dark brown to black and sub-shining (Fig. 6).</p> <p> Head (Figs. 15, 25): dark brown to black except the middle of frons with a very narrow yellow longitudinal stripe; ventral 1/2 of face, parafacial and palpus yellow to yellow-brown. Palpus narrow, parallelsided and densely covered with strong, black setulae. Chaetotaxy reduced: head with orbital, medial vertical and genal setae present; postocellar, lateral vertical, ocellar, and frontal setae absent. Antenna almost equal to face, with 1 st flagellomere about 1/4–1/3 as wide as long, and 1 st flagellomere dorsoapically slightly sharp; arista plumose, longest ray slightly shorter or about equal to width of 1 st flagellomere.</p> <p>Thorax entirely dark brown to black except for scutum with two slightly broad grayish-white microtrichose longitudinal stripes, halter yellow. Chaetotaxy reduced: only 1 notopleural, 1 postalar and 1 apical scutellar setae present.</p> <p> Wing (Fig. 30). Largely hyaline with a broad brownish-black costal band extending from the base of cell r 1 to the wing tip, all the posterior margin in the cells br and r 4+5; pterostigma yellow-brown, narrow and long, about 0.97–1.00 times as long as cell c. Vein R 4+5 bare.</p> <p>Legs. Slender and long. Coxa, trochanter and the basal 2/3 of femora dark brown, other parts yellow brown.</p> <p>Abdomen elongate with tergites yellow-brown to dark brown; tergites 1–2 combined nearly parallel-sided and almost as long as tergites 3 and 4 combined.</p> <p>Male terminalia: Epandrium large and broad, rounded in posterior view (Fig. 39); lateral surstylus small and short, apex rounded in lateral view (Fig. 42); medial surstylus with 1 black prensiseta. Glans slightly expanded medially, without distinct acrophallus and membranous subapical lobe (Fig. 47).</p> <p>Female. Unknown.</p> <p> <b>Distribution.</b> China (Hunan, Hubei, Zhejiang, Fujian, Sichuan, Yunnan). Hunan and Hubei are new province records for this species.</p> <p> <b>Type data.</b> Lectotype ♂ (IZCAS), CHINA: Zhejiang: Tianmushan, 8. July 1936 (examined); paraletotypes: 1 ♂, same data with lectotype (examined); 1 ♂, same locality as lectotype, 20 July 1936 (examined); 1 ♂ (IZCAS), CHINA: Fujian: Chongan, 24 July 1944 (examined).</p> <p> <b>Other specimens examined.</b> CHINA: Hunan: Sangzhi, 1200m, 14 August 2001, J. Wen & N.T. Huang, 1 ♁ (IZCAS). Hubei: Shennongjia, 900m, 11 August 2004, Z. Wang, 1♁ (IZCAS). Sichuan: Mt. Emei, 27 July 1957, Y. C. Lu, 1♁ (IZCAS). Yunnan: Kunming, 1200 m, 7 July 1956, K. R. Huang, 1♁ (IZCAS).</p> <p> <b>Remark.</b> The type specimens of <i>Ps. angustifasciatus</i> (females) and <i>Ps. continentalis</i> (males) were collected in the same days and locality. Considering sexually dimorphic of wing pattern in this group, a possibility that they are conspecific has been considered seriously. However, their unpublished DNA sequence data from author’s recent molecular experiment didn’t support this suppose so far.</p>Published as part of <i>Chen, Xiaolin, Zhang, Yanzhou, Li, Jie & Zhu, Chaodong, 2010, A review of stalk-eyed fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae: Trypetinae), pp. 1-16 in Zootaxa 2654 (1)</i> on pages 9-12, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.2654.1.1, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/5301417">http://zenodo.org/record/5301417</a>
Convergence of platforms and strategies of two software vendors
Get PDFThesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program, 2008.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.Includes bibliographical references (p. 145-157).Unified Communications: Convergence of Platforms and Strategies of Two Software Vendors by Muhammad Zia Hydari ABSTRACT Unified communication (UC) is the convergence of various modes of communication - voice telephony, email, instant messaging (IM), video conferencing and so on - used by enterprise workers. Academic literature exists that discusses digital convergence in various domains. Although UC has received considerable attention in the business press, we are not aware of any academic study within the domain of UC that explains the convergence of platforms and its links to the technology strategy of UC firms. This thesis presents an academic analysis of some platforms underlying UC and the emerging strategies of two software firms within the UC market. The theory of network effects originally developed by Rohlfs is central to the analysis in this thesis. The analysis of platform strategies of the UC firms is informed by the theoretical work on platform leadership (Gawer & Cusumano), convergence (Greenstein et al.), platform envelopment (Eisenmann et al.), and two-sided platforms (Tirole et al.). The thesis first describes four platform applications underlying UC viz. voice telephony, email, IM, and video communication. The analysis of email, IM and video communication in this thesis is unique as it takes a long term view to explain the current market situation within these domains. In particular, the thesis describes technological factors, network effects, standard battles, and competition that have led to the current market state. The thesis also links insights from these platforms to repercussions for UC supplier firms. The thesis then describes the strategies of two software vendors - Microsoft and IBM - using elements from Gawer & Cusumano's work on platform leadership.(cont.) Microsoft has defined a broad scope of innovation for its converged UC platform requiring it to enter the voice telephony market. The thesis posits that Microsoft's strategy for success is platform envelopment i.e. Microsoft is using shared components and installed user base from its email and IM platforms to create a multi-platform bundle and compete with entrenched platforms in the voice market. The thesis argues that IBM's choice for a narrower platform scope stems from its inferior market position in the email and IM markets as well as scope differences (vis-a-vis Microsoft). Convergence has created system integration opportunities that IBM's services unit has targeted. The thesis describes the implications of IBM's decisions on its ecosystem.by Muhammad Zia Hydari.S.M
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