My Learnings in History of Computers

I learned many lessons all about the history of computers. In studying this lessons, we can easily compare our modern technologies compare in past years.

The generations of computers:

1. First Generation (1940-1956)
Vacuum tubes
2. Second Generation (1956-1963)
Transistors
3. Third Generation (1964-1971)
Integrated Circuits
4. Fourth Generation (1971 and Present)
Microprocessors
5. Fifth Generations (Present and Beyond)
Artificial intelligence

Types of Computers:

1. Analog Computers
2. Digital Computers
3. Hybrid computers

Other Learnings:

How to take care of our Computers?
Software
Hardware
People ware
Input devices
Output devices
Processing

Fiorgelato: The Pure Italian Ice Cream
By Max de Leon

Considered an 'institution' in the industry, Fiorgelato owner espouses a responsible way of offering franchises.

Prudence is the new guiding principle of Fiorgelato in its franchise business. Owner Ricardo Z. Cuna, who has had 17 years of experience in franchising, wants to show the younger breed of franchisers that in this difficult economic condition, exercising caution and careful planning in getting new franchisees is more important than the rapid expansion of a company.
"We need to be very conscious and cautious in our expansion program. The crisis is really hurting us, so... franchisers need to remember that our franchise partners are investing their hard-earned money. We cannot take them in just because they have the money to invest," Cuna told Entrepreneur.
Cuna is a former president of the Association of Filipino Franchisers Inc. (AFFI) and even before Fiorgelato started its franchising program in 1999, he has been a consultant of various companies in the franchising industry.
When asked to elaborate on their franchising strategy, Cuna said they are carefully screening the franchise applicants to ascertain if they are really ready to do the business. The company has also added extra steps in the evaluation process of the prospective location to determine if the area has what it takes to deliver the sales, particularly if it has a high foot traffic, and if it is the right market for a high-end brand like Fiorgelato.

Fiorgelato as a brand

Fiorgelato is one of the brands of Milkin Corp. and sells different flavors of the Italian-style ice cream called gelato. Cuna said unlike the regular ice cream which is just a mere flavoring, the gelato is a healthier type because it has less fats and sugar but is better-tasting.
Fiorgelato brand is now an institution in the industry. Aside from capitalizing on the Italian ice cream craze, the company gained another niche by also capturing the coffee drinkers when it introduced the Fior Cafe‚ in 2000.
"We are the only company that mixed gelato and coffee in one store which is the original Italian setup. We also make our own gelato with 80 percent of the ingredients coming from Italy and other countries," he said.
According to Cuna, the company started small with only one machine. Today, there are about 50 Fiorgelato stores nationwide, 20 of which are company-owned. The brand itself is still growing, however, it?s not solely a numbers game.
"We did not even set a target for the number of stores that we are opening this year because our emphasis is on the quality of the franchise applicant," Cuna said.





WHAT FIORGELATO CONSIDERS IN A PROSPECTIVE FRANCHISEE

The franchise package for a cart-type store or scooping station is P275,000 all-in. A bigger kiosk which may also include Fior Coffee is worth P500,000. For a dine-in store that has both Fiorgelato and Fior Coffee, the franchise package is P1.5 million.
Recognized as one of the "elders" in the local franchising scene, Cuna always tells the AFFI members that while franchising is a good vehicle to expand a business, it is not proper for a responsible franchiser to just sell the franchise without the legal and moral obligations attached to it.
"Offering a franchise program doesn't only pertain to the product or service but the whole franchise system that guides the operation of the franchise business. It includes the good relationship between us, the franchisors, and our franchisees."
And what can the franchisee look forward to in acquiring a Fiorgelato license? Cuna proudly enumerates that aside from the usual franchise package inclusions of inventory, equipment and training, the distinguishing factors are "how reliable is the program we are offering, the support units, the innovativeness and the future plans of the franchise program," he said.
He couldn't help but emphasize, "Franchising should be part of the business and not the only business," he said. Milkin Corp., for instance, is also a manufacturing company, so it also does toll packing and toll production of ice cream.
He stressed that prospective franchisees should have the interest in a particular franchise business, and it should be something they are good at or motivated to do. "Secondly, they have to be emotionally, mentally and physically ready to handle the tasks of the franchise business. Thirdly, they should be financially ready to acquire a
franchise business. I always advise a prospective applicant to acquire franchise business within their means or budget."

Fiorgelato's main office is located at 1263 Gen. Luna St. Ermita, Manila. It can be reached through (632)5240384, 5235546, +639175205594, and www.fiorgelato.com.

ricky cuna

Ricky Cuna’s Fiorgelato

Ricky was already running Manila ice Cream Company for two years catering to restaurants, kiddie parties and other events when he acquired Milkin Corporation. At the time He didn’t even know that Milkin owned Fiorgelato, his favorite ice cream brand in college. Gelato and ice cream are not the same according to him. Gelato, which means frozen delight in Italian, has significantly less butterfat than ice cream, so you taste its full flavor immediately. It is also denser than ice cream, producing an intensely flavored and creamier dessert. To make real gelato, he studied Italian ice cream making techniques and started making ice cream using the most advanced equipment. Now they produce around 500 gallons daily with Italian ingredients and local fruits.

They offer up to 37 flavors in the market and have developed 72 in reserve at that time. To enhance his knowledge of gelato, he took up a course in ice cream making at Pennsylvania State University’s Science and Technology Creamery in the United States, he is the only Filipino to complete the course. He also graduated from the Carpigiani Gelato Ice Cream University in Winston, Salem, in North Carolina. As soon as he took over the helm, we mapped out a 10 year program where he saw franchising in the first five years and becoming a leading provider of quality ice cream and catering services in the next five.

“I’m proud to say that we’ve been able to reach our target every year, but it was only in our third year that the business turned profitable.” He said. “Now we have two sources of revenue those coming from our scooping stations and those from Milkin’s subsidiary, Designers Ice Cream Manufacturing Company, which accepts orders and produces gelato for leading restaurants.” Today Fiorgelato has 50 outlets situated in the malls and selected schools and offices he run 10 of them and franchisees the rest. He also opened seven Fiorgelato cafes, which were patterned after Italian street cafes, and a couple of Gelateria Pasticcera.

They have pushed the concept of the Gelateria and Pasticceria that combines a restaurant and a cafe. Each Fiorgelato franchise costs P180,000 for schools and P200,000 for the malls way back in 2004. The return of investment is one to two years, but the record is one-and-a half months. Our newer franchisees recoup their investment faster which is three to five months-because the product has matured and the brand is more recognizable. Now they are ready to expand abroad. They already have a branch in the United States, still looking to expand first in Asia.

His measure of success is if the people working for you are growing. All these years Milkin Corporation has refined in its employees a culture of trust and fidelity to the company, dedication to work, affection to co workers, and honor to themselves. Fiorgelato is a family-oriented corporation and treat their franchisees and employees as family, and that’s the reason most of their employees who were there from the start are still with them.

In 1993, while still working at the bank, Cuna founded the Milkin Corporation and partnered with Maynila Ice Cream to start a business focusing on the concoction that he has loved best since childhood. The following year, he acquired Fiorgelato whose concept came from Milan, Italy. Like any start-up business Fiorgelato suffered from funding problems. To help ease the problem, he invested his income from his job at the bank in Fiorgelato.

Richie Cuna started his banking career as a clerk in the Bank of the Philippine Islands. Steadily rising from the ranks, he was vice president for product development when he eventually left the bank. But his entry into the banking industry was not part of his original plan. His first job after college was with the Philippine Airlines, until the day he received word from BPI. He jumped at the opportunity to work for a major bank only to be disappointed because he was not a management trainee. But with hard work and dedication, he advanced much faster than those given management training. He earned his promotion to executive level, having spearheaded the project that launched the bank's automated teller machine.

After a brief hiatus, Cuna joined the Export and Industry Bank, which put him in charge of the bank's expansion, which means the development, selection and design of the bank's branches.

As his career steadily progressed he began thinking of the future. Realizing that even the most promising of careers only lasts until his retirement, he decided to start his own business on the side while keeping his job.

For eight years, Richie juggled his time between running Milkin Corp. and his job at the bank. He recalls flying overseas to talk with suppliers and partners and going straight to his office upon arriving home. It taxed him physically and intellectually so that in 2003, with his business expanding tremendously, he left the banking industry.

To gain better understanding of the business, he enrolled in several cooking schools and eventually became a chef. Cuna's Fiorgelato soon found a niche between commercial ice cream and gourmet ice cream, getting the best traits of both.

To help ensure the quality of his product, Cuna sources 80 percent of its ingredients from Milan and the United States. From Fiorgelato Milkin, the company has expanded to different brands such as Fior Café, Gelateria, and Maynila Ice cream. Its Cocoa Banana Tropical Ice cream has captured the global market with many outlets in the United States.

In his career as an entrepreneur, Cuna says his experience as a banker has been extremely useful, especially when he has to deal with banks. He has discovered that the corporate structure of banks can actually be adapted to the manufacturing and distribution sector. His training in the banking sector also gave him an insight into economic trends. He remembers seeing the signs of what was to become the 1997 Asian financial crisis months and had prepared for it months before its full impact was felt around the globe.

Vanilla Fiorgelato

In his company, Cuna fosters a culture of “pakikisama” and treats his employees as family. Despite the success that he has achieved, Richie remains humble and has kept a low profile. He encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to go into franchising, which has led to a teaching job at St. Scholastica College where he introduced a new course, entrepreneurship and franchising. He also conducts seminars regarding franchising.

Cuna is the man who wants to be known as one who "creates business for people" believes that any business that is founded on transparency, trust and integrity is bound for success.

My summer experience

My summer experience this 2010 in NCSHS are the following:

• When I entered the school of NCSHS.
• When I meet new teachers in NCSHS.
• When I meet new friends.
• When I learned new lessons.