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Show Results For
- All HBS Web
(774)
- People (2)
- News (83)
- Research (637)
- Events (5)
- Multimedia (1)
- Faculty Publications (490)
- August 1997 (Revised June 1999)
- Case
Providian Trust: Tradition and Technology (A)
By: F. Warren McFarlan and Melissa Dailey
A major trust company attempts to implement a major software system while simultaneously reengineering business processes. Providian Trust, a previously non-IT intensive organization, must completely reposition its management of technology to deal with IT's new... View Details
Keywords: Change Management; Financial Institutions; Business Processes; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Information Technology; Applications and Software; Financial Services Industry
McFarlan, F. Warren, and Melissa Dailey. "Providian Trust: Tradition and Technology (A)." Harvard Business School Case 398-008, August 1997. (Revised June 1999.)
- September 2011 (Revised July 2012)
- Case
Building Watson: Not So Elementary, My Dear!
By: Willy Shih
This case is set inside IBM Research's efforts to build a computer that can successfully take on human challengers playing the game show Jeopardy! It opens with the machine named Watson offering the incorrect answer "Toronto" to a seemingly simple question during the... View Details
Keywords: Technological Innovation; Standards; Product Development; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Mathematical Methods; Research and Development; Information Technology
Shih, Willy. "Building Watson: Not So Elementary, My Dear!" Harvard Business School Case 612-017, September 2011. (Revised July 2012.)
- June 1992 (Revised March 2006)
- Case
Concordia Casting Company
Describes five years of development in a centralized data processing activity serving a highly decentralized corporation. Data processing manager discovers that a major software system conversion is a full year behind schedule, and subsequently makes several managerial... View Details
Keywords: Analytics and Data Science; Applications and Software; System; Information Technology; Change Management; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Leadership Style; Leading Change; Human Resources; Conflict and Resolution; Supply Chain Management; Accounting; Auto Industry
McFarlan, F. Warren. "Concordia Casting Company." Harvard Business School Case 192-151, June 1992. (Revised March 2006.)
- November 1992 (Revised November 1998)
- Case
Bitstream
Focuses on the new CEO of a growing software firm, the culture he's tried to create, and the need to hire a manager to spearhead a new product division. Includes details on how the search was conducted and presents resumes of four candidates who are being considered... View Details
Keywords: Leadership; Organizational Culture; Selection and Staffing; Recruitment; Cognition and Thinking; Applications and Software; Business Divisions; Information Technology Industry
Roberts, Michael J. "Bitstream." Harvard Business School Case 393-055, November 1992. (Revised November 1998.)
- November 2005 (Revised February 2006)
- Case
Oracle vs. PeopleSoft (A)
By: Lynn S. Paine, Guhan Subramanian and David Millstone
Focuses on the hotly contested takeover battle between software rivals Oracle and PeopleSoft in 2003 and 2004. Raises novel issues of takeover law under Delaware corporate law as well as issues of fair competition under California law. A central issue is whether the... View Details
- January 2009
- Supplement
Yieldex (B)
Yieldex CEO Tom Shields was hired by the company's technical founder, Doug Cosman, in October 2007. One of Shields' top priorities is finding a vice president of engineering to manage the company's software development efforts. Shields and Costman disagree about the... View Details
Keywords: Selection and Staffing; Applications and Software; Engineering; Decision Choices and Conditions; Product Development; Information Technology Industry
Stuart, Toby E., and Alison Berkley Wagonfeld. "Yieldex (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 809-091, January 2009.
- February 2016 (Revised August 2020)
- Case
InsightSquared: Developing the Sales and Marketing Plan
By: Mark Roberge, Tom Eisenmann and Frank Cespedes
Fred Shilmover and Sam Clemens prepared for their fourth quarter board meeting. They were excited to have scaled their software startup, InsightSquared, to $2 million in revenue and secured an $8 million round of venture capital. However, they disagreed on the path... View Details
Keywords: Sales Planning; Applications and Software; Marketing; Sales; Planning; Growth and Development Strategy
Roberge, Mark, Tom Eisenmann, and Frank Cespedes. "InsightSquared: Developing the Sales and Marketing Plan." Harvard Business School Case 816-074, February 2016. (Revised August 2020.)
- January 2018 (Revised January 2019)
- Case
ZappRx
By: Jeffrey J. Bussgang and Olivia Hull
In October 2015, ZappRx founder Zoe Barry is deciding between two business models for her health technology start-up. Her product, a software application that aims to expedite the prescription fulfillment process for patients with rare diseases, has attracted interest... View Details
- August 1986 (Revised June 1987)
- Case
Lotus Development Corporation: Entering International Markets
By: David B. Yoffie and John J. Coleman
Lotus 1-2-3 exploded on the American market in the spring of 1983. Nine months later Jim Manzi, vice president of marketing, hired Chuck Digate to develop an international strategy for Lotus. Case explores Lotus' rapid rise to the top of the software market in the... View Details
Keywords: Market Entry and Exit; Applications and Software; Global Strategy; Management Teams; Information Technology Industry; United States
Yoffie, David B., and John J. Coleman. "Lotus Development Corporation: Entering International Markets." Harvard Business School Case 387-034, August 1986. (Revised June 1987.)
- October 2006 (Revised February 2010)
- Case
Linux vs. Windows
By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and Jordan Mitchell
As of 2006, Microsoft is finding that its dominant position in client and server operating systems is under attack from Linux. While Linux has only 3% of the worldwide installed base of PC operating systems, it had captured 20% of the server market by the end of 2005... View Details
Keywords: Business Model; For-Profit Firms; Open Source Distribution; Competitive Strategy; Applications and Software; Value; Technology Industry
Casadesus-Masanell, Ramon, and Jordan Mitchell. "Linux vs. Windows." Harvard Business School Case 707-465, October 2006. (Revised February 2010.)
- January 2023 (Revised June 2023)
- Case
Replika: Embodying AI
By: Shikhar Ghosh, Shweta Bagai and Marilyn Morgan Westner
Replika was a virtual AI companion that provided a way for people to process their emotions, build connections in a safe environment, and get through periods of loneliness. The chatbot fulfilled a user's need for a friend, romantic partner, or purely an emotional... View Details
Ghosh, Shikhar, Shweta Bagai, and Marilyn Morgan Westner. "Replika: Embodying AI." Harvard Business School Case 823-090, January 2023. (Revised June 2023.)
- November 2004 (Revised May 2010)
- Case
RightNow Technologies
By: William A. Sahlman and Dan Heath
The founder and CEO of a CRM software start-up must decide between an attractive acquisition offer and the opportunity to go public. Discusses the growth of the company--including a lengthy discussion of entrepreneurial bootstrapping--as well as an aborted IPO attempt... View Details
Keywords: Business Exit or Shutdown; Applications and Software; Going Public; Management Teams; Finance; Strategy; Value Creation; Entrepreneurship; Business Startups; Acquisition; Computer Industry
Sahlman, William A., and Dan Heath. "RightNow Technologies." Harvard Business School Case 805-032, November 2004. (Revised May 2010.)
- March 2018 (Revised January 2020)
- Supplement
STRIVR (B): Moving into the Enterprise
By: Rajiv Lal and Scott Johnson
STRIVR, a company focused on virtual reality training, has decided to shift focus from sports to enterprise customers. The change in strategy requires the CEO to solve a number of issues. The company initally offered training for hard skills, but clients have been... View Details
Keywords: Strivr; Virtual Reality; Soft Skills; Hard Skills; VR; Applications and Software; Market Entry and Exit; Business Strategy; Training; Sports; Technology Industry; Education Industry; United States
Lal, Rajiv, and Scott Johnson. "STRIVR (B): Moving into the Enterprise." Harvard Business School Supplement 518-091, March 2018. (Revised January 2020.)
- February 2011 (Revised December 2014)
- Case
RentJuice
By: Thomas Eisenmann and Liz Kind
RentJuice, founded in mid-2008, provided a subscription software service—sold via phone and live online webinars—that allowed real estate professionals like brokers and agents to manage and market rental listings, communicate with clients, and complete transaction... View Details
Keywords: Renting or Rental; Product Launch; Applications and Software; Property; Business Startups; Salesforce Management; Product Marketing; Real Estate Industry; Information Technology Industry
Eisenmann, Thomas, and Liz Kind. "RentJuice." Harvard Business School Case 811-069, February 2011. (Revised December 2014.)
- June 1998 (Revised January 2000)
- Case
Egghead.com
Egghead Software, an entrenched traditional chain retailer specializing in computer software and peripherals, had established a nationwide chain of mall and shopping center stores and a well-organized national brand. In early 1998, management made a highly unusual, and... View Details
Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Digital Platforms; Internet and the Web; Applications and Software; Information Technology Industry; Retail Industry
Rayport, Jeffrey F., Jeremy Dann, and Robert C Schmults. "Egghead.com." Harvard Business School Case 898-283, June 1998. (Revised January 2000.)
- August 1994
- Case
Intuit, Inc.
The merger of two computer software firms with very rapidly growing non-overlapping products makes great strategic sense, but presents difficult valuation and accounting problems. How can a firm pay $225 million to acquire another firm with negligible current earnings,... View Details
Keywords: Valuation; Mergers and Acquisitions; Applications and Software; Accounting; Financial Strategy; Goodwill Accounting; Corporate Finance; Information Technology Industry; United States
Fruhan, William E., Jr. "Intuit, Inc." Harvard Business School Case 295-028, August 1994.
- June 1994 (Revised February 1999)
- Case
Marcia Radosevich and Health Payment Review--1989 (A)
Martha Radosevich, president of Health Payment Review, a small software start-up, confronts a serious cash-flow problem: Health Payment Review has built a PC-based prototype but has run out of funds to build a commercially acceptable mainframe product. As a stop-gap... View Details
Keywords: Negotiation; Cash Flow; Entrepreneurship; Applications and Software; Sales; Information Technology Industry
Bhide, Amar. "Marcia Radosevich and Health Payment Review--1989 (A)." Harvard Business School Case 394-204, June 1994. (Revised February 1999.)
- June–July 2019
- Article
A Methodology for Operationalizing Enterprise IT Architecture and Evaluating Its Modifiability
By: Robert Lagerström, Alan MacCormack, David Dreyfus and Carliss Y. Baldwin
Recent contributions to information systems theory suggest that the primary role of a firm’s information technology (IT) architecture is to facilitate, and therefore ensure the continued alignment of a firm’s IT investments with a constantly changing business... View Details
Keywords: Enterprise Architecture; Modularity; Information Systems; Modifiability; Design Structure Matrix
Lagerström, Robert, Alan MacCormack, David Dreyfus, and Carliss Y. Baldwin. "A Methodology for Operationalizing Enterprise IT Architecture and Evaluating Its Modifiability." Complex Systems Informatics and Modeling Quarterly 19 (June–July 2019): 75–98.
- December 1999
- Case
Sun Microsystems, Inc. (A5): Solaris 7: Rich Green on Product Strategy and Culture Change
By: Rosabeth M. Kanter and Jane Roessner
Solaris, Sun Microsystems' version of the UNIX operating system, was an amorphous collection of capabilities that had accumulated over the years, a product the company vaguely wished it could market and sell better. Developing and marketing Solaris 7 would help... View Details
- September 2010 (Revised January 2012)
- Case
OPOWER: Increasing Energy Efficiency through Normative Influence (A)
By: Amy J.C. Cuddy, Kyle Todd Doherty and Maarten W. Bos
The case profiles OPOWER, an energy efficiency software company that applies Cialdini's principles of social influence to successfully encourage consumers to reduce their energy usage. OPOWER was co-founded in 2008 by two young Harvard graduates, Dan Yates and Alex... View Details
Keywords: Mathematical Methods; Applications and Software; Attitudes; Entrepreneurship; Energy Conservation; Power and Influence; Growth and Development Strategy; Energy Industry; United States
Cuddy, Amy J.C., Kyle Todd Doherty, and Maarten W. Bos. "OPOWER: Increasing Energy Efficiency through Normative Influence (A)." Harvard Business School Case 911-016, September 2010. (Revised January 2012.)