Game for Learning

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Far East Educational Group
And Eastern Active Learner Learning Game Software Series:
Business Strategy Proposal and Technology Recommendation
Course: Netw 583 Strategic Management of Information Technology
Professor Jude Lamour
Student
Ting Yin
Muntazir Ahmed
Date April 19, 2015

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Abstract
Eastern Active Learner (EAL) is a brand of learning game software, devices and of a
performance management platform for primary and secondary schools, educators, parents, and
students in China. It is formed through collaboration between Far East Educational Group
(FEEG), Apple, Blackberry and Gamin. Eastern Active Learner included major features found
products created by Apple, Blackberry, and Gamin. In experimental trial plan, Active Learner
has been found to be effective on the school children. It has been found that it can improve the
student academic achievement significantly over a course of year (Hu, 2015).
The purpose of this paper is develop business strageties that can help FEEG to
upscale the production EA. In addition to the proposed business plans, the paper also
provides several technological recommendation to be used in helping to implement EAL
business plan and in providing technological supports to maintain FEEG business, product
design and development. All the stragety proposal and technological recommendations
are ultimtely intended to improve student academic achievement at primary and
secondary eudcation level.
Institution Background
Shanghai Department of Education (DOE) has employed almost 89,066 full-time
teachers, the system serve 1.1 million students in 2,000 different schools located in various parts
of the providence. The Chinese Educational System is consisted 6 years of primary school
education, 3 years of lower secondary school education, 3 years of upper secondary school

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education. At every grade level of a student’s education in China, the students are expected to
take language, mathematics, science, histories, and physical education courses. The traditional
educational system still uses mainly paper-based form of assessments to evaluate student
academic progress and achievement. The correspondence sent between student families and the
schools are mainly conducted in form of traditional mail (Yin, 2015).
Problem
Shanghai DOE and the Chinese Families have found it to be difficult for the families to
pay ever-increasing costs of education for their students and children. The institution and the
families want to find most cost effective way of tutoring the students. Apple and other major
brand educational technology products charge average Chinese families at premium price. The
government and the families want to design and develop educational technologies that help the
students to learn more on their own and to become more active and effective independent
learners. Far East Educational Group’s (EEFG) East Active Learner Series (EAL)) has been
considered as most cost effective technological solution that can help the Chinese students to
succeed at school with lowered overall costs (Chan, 2015)
FEEG and its collaborators has consulted with a Educational Technology Consulting
group on how to design, innovate, develop, protect, deploy, and market its product to the Chinese
population in Shanghai.

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Figure 1 Eastern Active Learner Device and Software (Peterson, 2011)
1- Strategy
Far East Educational Group (FEEG) can incorporate, Massively Multiplayer Online Role
Playing Games (MMORPGs), an effective user experience gaming strategies to engage the user-
learner. MMORPGS user experience has helped Blizzard Entertainment to reach high of 12
million subscribers. To raise the sales of FEEG learning software and devices, it should to
expand upon ever-expanding MMORPG educational technology and software market as it is
important for the continuous success of Far East Educational Group’s educational software
product and service. FEEG group can generate multiple versions of educational games that can
help the user-learner to improve their academic achievement and build their core competencies
to create more effective learning software with a more cost effective technological engine and
system that are more afford within the price ranger the buyer can afford
Figure 2 (Peterson , 2011)

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Far East Educational Group (FEEG) must protect their software products and devices as
intellectual property (IP) through copyrights, patents, and trademark. The legal protection can
have a positive influence on stakeholders, customers, and the end users. The most important
strategy for FEEG is to make FEEG know for its a quality learning software and devices so the
user leaner will engaged with the products and services in order to improve the FEEG brand
image and increase the FEEG products to a higher level of sale level that can help it to secure its
successful future (Chan, 2015).
FEEG should recommended to collobrate with a diverse range of supplier chain for
providing FEEG Eastern Active Learner Software with its variety of suitable devices to its
customers and the end users. FEEG should offering discounts and incentive for FEEG suppliers
for meeting standards of ethnic set by FEEG. The company should work closely with the
suppliers to make sure that certain standards are included to the EAL and other FEEG will sell
and to make sure the best customer experience (Lee, 2015).

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FEEG solicit various retail stores to help it to do the in-person marketing and selling of
FEEG device and software. This will create competitive nature in selling FEEG devices and
software in order to create the best practices of the educational technology business, and the store
can positively engage customer and end users. FEEG should train and develop the employees in
the retail store in order to be able to provide the best customer experience as well as to create
competitive environment with other retail stores that may be in the area also sell FEEG services
and products (Yin, 2015)
2- Core Competencies
FEEG’s primary competencies can be regarded its importance within its development
learning games engines and devices and software quality control. FEEG should develop strategic
marketing and branding. The concept of FEEG educational game should be based on all the
learning games are all related to each other and build upon them in episodes as built in a story.
As in the case for Blizzard, FEEG should incorporate 3 D environmental for the user learner to
learn the materials. FEEG should continue to build on FEEG engine and made iterative
improvement for the next few years. Like blizzard, FEEG should introduce dynamic images to
give more of a vibrant, engaging, living feel to the learning environment developed in the device
for the learner user to be more engaged (Peterson, 2011)
FEEG must be aware of can be represented in Porter Five-forces Model:
1. Degree of Existing Rivalry: There is numerous MMORPGs educational software on the
market in China among them are subscribing and free-to-play educational learning
games. The strongest rivalries can be in educational technology are the following
educational technology leaders: Vetch China, Leapfrog China, Educational Insights
China, Fisher Price China (Peterson, 2011)

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2. Threat of potential entrants: There are many entrants that serve the similar educational
purpose and have similar functions. These entrants are released every single year that can
potentially become competitors for the FEEG software and device sales (Peterson, 2011)
3. Bargaining power of suppliers: Supplier of FEEG devices can affect FEEG ability to gain
profit from educational game related item (Peterson, 2011)
4. Bargaining power of buyers: Pricing of the competitive products could affect FEEG.
5. Threat of substitute: Facebook version of educational games, other educational MMO
that are not RPGs can affect FEEG (Peterson , 2011).
Strategic Intent for Far East Educational Group is to speed up and streamline the production of
its products and to grow and expand its quality assurance competency. One of the more
important strategy to be considered is improve current Eastern Active Learner Series and other
Far Easter Educational Group (FEEG) products and to integrate existing competitor ideas and
into the FEEG game engine in order to deliver the services that can better interest and meet
customers (Yin, 2015)
3 – Industry Dynamics
FEEG must carefully in analyzing the competition and the market trends. FEEG should
never be complacent in its position in the market. Whatever the user learner change, FEEG
products and services and FEEG must address their customer need. FEEG need to further
elaborate the form of gameplay that engage learner. The production of Active Learner will focus
on the a revamp of the entire system for active learning and to streamline and enlighten its
learning activities (Hu, 2015)

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Far Eastern Educational Group must address their customer and end user need, in respond
to ever changing learning environment. FEEG should include of the following feature such as
Player Housing (an ability of players to create modifiable environment), extensive crafting (fun
on -the -side learning activities) and perpetual side-story content (mini-learning game activities
and minor events). FEEG must incorporate more innovation into the learning game and devices
to positively engage the customers and the end users. FEEG can incorporate the design concept
of “frequency software patch “ a design strategy that can constantly or continually update the
FEEG Active Learner Product Series with new gaming ideas in smaller parts every short period
of time (Peterson, 2011).
Customer services needs to be one of the important strategies for Far East Educational
Group FEEG to create more sustainable business. Software and hardware companies’ success can
be developed from a combination of its customer service and products. The blend has to be
balanced well in order to create more sustainable business with all the competition. While
working on its core competencies, FEEG should strive to become the best provider in the market
(Lee, 2015).
The current competition puts Leapfrog and VTech in the top spots. The learning game
subscribes and mobile device buyer determine FEEG revenue stream, and FEEG currently cannot
hope to compete with Lead Frog China or VTech China in term of size, profit. In order to raise to
a level that can sustain FEEG business, FEEG should have attract their business by offering best
customer services and technological features on its tablets, other products and services, and move
more slowly toward establishing the network capable of competing with the rivals(Hu, 2015).
FEEG can offer a competitive pricing plan for its software and devices. By offering a
variety of pricing plan can draw customers from the competition over to FEEG. FEEG is able to

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focus in on customer issues and get solutions out a much more rapid pace that would be possible.
Application device can be created (Owen, 2015)
4 – Technology Sourcing and Internal Innovation
When Far East Educational Group was first form through collaboration between Apple and other
partners in educational technology and mobile devices marked as the beginning of FEEG ability to
focus on its own innovative strategies. The company becomes more interested in how it can
manage its new future for the electronic educational technology company. The company need to
focuses on what the learner players need in term of learning through innovation. New learning
strategies need to be introduced into the learning software and devices. FEEG should introduce
even more new concepts to create more sustainable business. The creativity in environment and
creature models will encourage the potential growth of the company to the right direction (Hu,
2015).
Edge Wireless should plan and license the now universal QWERTY console to FEEG.
QWERTY can empower snappy writing with the thumbs on the Active Learner Device and
Learning Software. By supplementing IT administration, Edge Wireless Services can
complement with the FEEG Active Learner Software and Devices. The supplemental
administrator includes the servers, a handheld, programming, and administration that work well
with the Eastern Active Learner (Lee, 2015)
Edge Wireless should target at the educational professionals, parents, students and other
end user. The Blackberry’s versatility allows access to school systems, such as school intranet,
internet, email, and administration frameworks, from outside the school place. These features
have moved the entire organization toward greater engagement in educational activity. The data

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transmission provided by FEEG subsequently lowered mailing expenses for schools (Chan,
2015)
Far East Educational Group should have 5 promises to its customers in order to meet
their commitment to the customers. FEEG should accurate provide information on customers and
users should expect from FEEG, to help the customer choose and learn about FEEG service and
produce. FEEG can provide the customers and the end users easy access to knowledgeable and
consistent support that can quickly provide services whenever it is necessary. (Lee, 2015)
FEEG should engage educational professional, parents, students to become interested in
FEEG. FEEG should develop and create company website and social media sites such as
Facebook and Twitter to engage the public. FEEG also have and should encourage customer
dialog on the forums in order to find individuals with similar interest can help them to become
more interested with FEEG products and services (Chan, 2015).
5 –Product Development Strategy
Far East Educational Group (FEEG) develops Active Learner Software and Devices to be
viewed personal and group technology as an ever-evolving technology. It is developed based an
understanding of both the internal capabilities of the business organization and the opportunities
that made possible technological resources external to FEEG (Hu, 2015).
The purpose of FEEG product strategy is to create innovative products and services
aligned with a “digital hub” strategy. Integrating and cross selling the company’s products has
been the goal of FEEG, as it generates the Active Learner line of learning devices and applicable
software, learning software application distribution through its iTunes Music Store, and digital
services through the iPhone (Yin, 2015).

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Through marketing and the sale of products, FEEG can become not only a successful
educational technology company, but it can be a successful marketing company as well. The
company can use marketing and branding strategies to promote its brand and to compete across
several intensively competitive digital and high educational technology markets (Owen, 2015)
Far East Educational Group branding strategy can the company to design, innovate, and
develop products that fit into student lifestyles. The preference for FEEG products, such as the
“FEEG Learning community” on its website, and it can help to keep its products at competitive
levels. The companies can create big step in becoming more efficient with respect to business
logistics and operations. The innovation of the business and its operations can advance FEEG to
the forefront of educational technology (Hu, 2015).
FEEG can fully integrate all aspects of customer needs or wants into personal technology
devices and services. Another reason for FEEG success can be the opening of its own retail stores.
The stores have helped the company to distribute its products more effectively or efficiently. The
company has increased the accessibility to the iPad through various resellers that do not currently
carry Apple Macintosh products. It has created an online store to distribute its own products and
services (Yin, 2015)
The acceleration of gaming content while maintaining gaming and learning quality will be
the primary factor for success for Far East Educational Group (FEEG). As the market more
competitive, it is very important for FEEG to introduce learning content that will make user learner
more engaged in the FEEG develop gaming environment and learning environment. FEEG should
introduce new design, content, every 3 to 4 months, in form of patch; FEEG can help the students
to become more engaged in giving with more diverse of interesting activities to do with the
software. The learning contents and activates on the educational device and software need to be

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less extensive, and more iterative. FEEG should fit t to produce more effective content release
(Yin, 2015).
Far East Education should have developed various teams involved in different gaming
design and learning activities. These teams need to communicate with each and produce content in
smaller in scale that be released every 3 to 4 months. The model should shift to have all content
patches to be smaller in size that allow more rapid development, production and testing. This
rapid deployment of new game can be done through Heavyweight teams (Lee, 2015)
As heavyweight team are devoted to their assigned task. And they also provide cross-
functional approach that can allow IT project members to communicate and collaborate among
different departments under a project manager. A cross-functional team can better suite for game
development and it can help to develop more suitable design principles by considering the
feedback for each type of design ideas from learning standard, students test score, teacher
comment in instead of considering one factor isolated form one another (Chan, 2015)
6- Strategy to Protect Innovations
The FEEG can provide protection of its first designed iconic character through copyright
laws as well as game itself (the software). FEEG name can be protected by trademarks and
protection method can be protected by Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). FEEG
should develop strong foundation for protecting its property through applying for copyrights and
trademarks in China and USA. FEEG should maintain information control on names it is
intended to use (Owen, 2015)
Further protection methods related to platform design principles need to be further
evaluated. FEEG learning software is designed to function on Apple Macintosh OS and MS
Windows, Android, and FEEG mobile device. Strong enforcement of the DMCA and end-user

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license agreement (EULA) can lower the chance of introduction of third party program. The 3rd
party program can bypass protection afforded by the game system. FEEG can attempt to prevent
illegal access to FEEG devices and software internal information through the above legal
protection (Hu, 2015)
No external compliances beside the ones mentioned above are required to protect the IP
from other entities. Far East Educational Group FEEG should focus on software development
internal innovation. FEEG must protect is IP. When FEEG introduces new ideas to the public, it
delivers the information in form of advertisement that the concept is new and innovative. FEEG
gaming characters or designs are protected by copyright from being used illegally. FEEG
character and design are representative of FEEG. The upcoming new designs by FEEG are
modeled after its current design and may have little additional innovation. These designed are
artwork themselves and they are protected by copyright, and they are also representative of the
company and they should be in unique format not available in rivals (Chan, 2015)
Technological Bucket Summary
1) Mobile Wireless Tablet for Eastern Active Learner (EAL) Software by Far East
Educational Group
2) EAL Database integration with the Chinese Department of Education Enterprise
Database
3) Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing (MMORPG) game interface
4) Wireless support and service to transfer information over air
5) Online store to advertise, manage sale, deliver service and product to the customer
6) Marketing and Sales of FEEEG products and services on iTune store interface

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7) Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
8) Gaming Patch Update
9) Eastern Active Learner Software compatibility with Mac products, MS Office,
Android
10) QWETRY
11) Helpdesk support technology
12) IT Project Management Software
13) School SaaS Cloud
14) Database Server (Oracle DB Server)
15) Business Intelligence Suite (Oracle BI Foundation Suite)
16) BI Dashboard (Oracle Enterprise Dashboard
Recommendation
Eastern Active Learner (EAL) Software and their Device
The educational tablet should be made of light- weight and durable materials that allow
its software and their respective accessory devices to work effectively with each other. The
screen on the Far Eastern Educational Group FEEG EAL itself should be available in diverse
range of sizes that are suitable for wide range of software and users preference. The information
input into the Eastern Active Learner software and database should be integrated with the
Chinese school IT systems and databases (Yin, 2015).
Far Eastern Educational Group’s (FEEG) Active Learner Learning can assess the
student’s subject matter understanding through informal assessment with problem sets similar to
those appear on the standardized exams. The students can become engaged with the assessment

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in very stimulating game environment on East Active Learner Educational Games. It has been
found the students work out every problem the best they can toward the completion the exercises
derived from the standardized assessment. The stimulating characters serve more as teachers that
deliver lesson in fun and interesting ways that really help the student become more likely to
engage the learning activity appear on the game and continue on the lesson to competition (Chan,
2015).
The learning activities stored in the EAL can help the student to achieve the standard set
by the Chinese Department of Education. The activity content and design provide test related
questions in engaging environment that can engage learners. The dynamic learning environment
introduce EAL should help the students become more interested in continuing playing the game
while all the skills and the knowledge to succeed in school (Radak, 2013)
East Active Learner (EAL) Game Software can evaluate the student user
historical and current testing results to identify the unique strengths and weakness in any subject
matter area. EAL has an evaluation and feedback platform that has been created to engage
educators, parents, and students in back-and-forth dialogue about improving student academic
performance. The student performances on EAL software are then sent to the school system
SaaS platforms (Radak, 2013).
The schools themselves have a holistic student engagement platform. The school cloud-
based SaaS platform can help to improve student outcomes by informing educators and parents
with a 360 degree view of their students learning outcome and process that include the test result
derived from EAL. At the same time, the school platform simplifies and streamlines workflow
and communications for educators. The school integrated system can help the educators to

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invest more of their valuable time from administrative tasks to the parts of their jobs that need
more of their attentions. Based on the academic analytical results, EAL can help the students,
educators, parents, and the communities to work together to help the students to improve their
academic performance and to improve teacher classroom performance (Radak, 2013).
Enterprise Resources Planning (ERP) for Far East Educational Group
Enterprise resource planning (ERP) for Far East Educational Group FEEG can allow it to
use a system of integrated software applications to manage FEEG and automate many office
related functions related to HR, IT, and service technology, and other company related services
in FEEG. ERP software can integrate all aspects of the FEEG operation such as business
operation, business related or product related business planning, business development,
production and manufacture, sales and advertising, and customer relationship activity.
Figure 3 Enterprise Resource Planning (Smith, 2011)

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Web 2.0 Collaboration Tools (on Eastern Active Learner Product Website and Far East
Educational Group Webstie) have the capability for educational collaboration and company
information cohesiveness and company data integration. Web 2.0 technology can provide the
opportunity for the business of creating, collaborating, editing, and sharing business-generated
and customer-generated content online. The presentation tools can upload, create, edit and share
company presentation to the public. The Video tools can provide videos that can market the
company’s products, service, and other related information. The mobile tools are good for
podcasting. The blogging media can into the effective teaching and learning ways for instructing
the public on how to use Far Eastern Educational Group. These technologies can further engage
the public to become more interested in their products and services (Sampson, 2011).
IT Help Desk Technology and Operation Management Technology at Far East Educational
Group
IT Help Desk Technology at Far East Educational Group can track, manage and
customize all items in IT projects. With IT project management integrated with the help desk
software, allow incident/problem/change and configuration management database integration. IT
Operation Manager technology is a process-based suite that is designed to align the IT service
delivery with the FEEG mission and objective. IT Help Desk can monitor entire FEEG IT
network. The alert from the Operator can inform the appropriate Help Desk technicians to take
corrective action to remediate the problems (Johnson , 2009).

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Figure 4 Help Desk Technology (Johnson, 2019)
IT Project Management Software System
Project Management (PM) software can lay out “roadmap” that can be easily understood
and lead project team members toward successful project completion. Project team-members are
more likely to work more effectively and efficiently under the proper roadmap layout by the
project management software. PM software can monitor and control the growth and development
of software product development. PM software help project team-member to develop better
strategies that can improve the quality of the software products. With better product
management, better software products can be generated with better efficiency. Project
Management can better the team reach their described goals and achieve within preset time and
cost boundaries (Johnson, 2009).

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Figure 5 Project Management Software (Johnson, 2009)
Far East Educational Group Business Intelligence
Choosing Oracle Data Mining (ODM) over other tools is a more cost effective decision
for both software and labor. ODM offers data mining functionality as a native SQL function
within the Oracle database. This tool of choice for data mining and reporting offers many
algorithms that can be used to address any business problem. FEEG and the school systems uses
Oracle and ODM database
ODM offers a graphical user interface (GUI) to show users various data patterns and
relationships resulting from data mining. The GUI enables Oracle data analysts to work with the
data already stored in the university’s database, and it can assist with the university’s community
initiatives by offering predictions and recommendations. Data mining GUI offers user-friendly
tools that can help people explore the data graphically and create and evaluate multiple data

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mining models. The GUI applies ODM models to new data and reveals insights and predictions
throughout the enterprise.
Oracle’s database SQL Application Program Interface mines Oracle data and releases
results in real-time .ODM comes with many other applications to handle the high technology
demands of ABC University. ODM’s GUI is free of charge and comes fully equipped with
Oracle SQL Developer. The tool has visibility that stores data, provides visualization of
graphical data, and accesses multiple data models.
Conclusion
Far East Educational Group’s Software Game Active Learner series has proven to
improve the student academic performance in Shanghai School System. The purpose of this
paper is to propose business strategies and to recommend technological solutions that can
upscale the production of FEEG ‘s service and products. Through the business strategy, it is hope
to further engage the customers, the students, the business partner to become more interested in
FEEG products and services. In strategy section, it is recommended that FEEG to incorporate
the best proven selling ideas into further development of FEEG products and improvement of its
service.
In respect to the FEEG business operation, IT Project Management Software, ERP, Help
Desk Technology and Operation Manager IT are recommended for FEEG to better monitor,
control, and manage its business operations in respond ever changing environment. FEEG
Active Learners is also a plate form that can calculate the student performance on the learning
device and the software is able to transmit to the school system for further analysis. Oracle
Business Intelligence can help FEEG and the school system to analyze the data from all sources

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and these data can provide insight on how should FEEG should manage and operate its business.
Web 2.0 , iTune store can help FEEG to market and sell FEEG brand, products, and services.

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Reference
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Jackson, M. (2009). Technology Customer Service, Asian Journal of Information Technology, 8,
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Johnson, A. (2009). Project Management Software. Asian Journal of Information Technology,
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Peterson, S. (2011). Game Technology. Asian Journal of Information Technology, 9, (3), 30
Radak, L. (2013). Educational Technology, Asian Journal of Information Technology, 15, (4), 30
Sampson, J. (2011). Web 2.0. Asian Journal of Information Technology, 10, (1), 2
Smith, J. (2011). Enterprise Resources Planning. Asian Journal of Information Technology, 10,
(1), 2
Yang, M. (2011). Mobile Device Technology, Asian Journal of Information Technology, 9, (3),
30
Interview
Christ Chan (Technologist at China Bank), interview by Ting Yin, April 2015
Jason Hu (Technologist at J.P Morgan), interviewed by Ting Yin, April, 2015, interview
transcript email
Mike Yin (VP of Technology at Bank of America), interviewed by Ting Yin, April, 2015,
interview transcript email

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Rita Lee (Technologist at Bank of America), Interviewed by Ting Yin, April, 2015, interview
transcript email.
Sam Hu (Technologist at China Bank), interviewed by Ting Yin, April, 2015
Wes Owen (Technologist at Bank of America), interviewed by Ting Yin, June, 2015, interview
transcript email