Publications
Publications
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- All HBS Web
(1,322)
- Faculty Publications (319)
- March 1999
- Case
MySoftware Company (A)
By: H. Kent Bowen and Nicole Tempest
In 1997, Gregory Slayton took the position as CEO of MySoftware, which had been experiencing revenue and operating losses for the past two years. Within 90 days, he stabilized the company through a combination of cost cutting, financial discipline, and accountability... View Details
- February 1999 (Revised June 2000)
- Case
Cimetrics Technology (A-1)
By: Lynn S. Paine and Jose Royo
Jim Lee, president of Cimetrics (a young, fast growing, software start-up) is reevaluating his small company's geographically dispersed product development model. To take advantage of talented low-cost labor in Russia, the company has relied on two software engineering... View Details
Keywords: Business Model; Applications and Software; Business or Company Management; Corporate Entrepreneurship; Human Resources; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Labor and Management Relations; Product Development; Performance Evaluation; Information Technology Industry; Russia; Canada; United States
- November 1998 (Revised February 1999)
- Case
Microsoft Office: Finding the Suite Spot
By: Stefan H. Thomke and Steven Sinofsky
Describes a key decision-making process within Microsoft's Office products division. At a time when the PC software business has a great deal of uncertainty, Microsoft's management has to make a key decision regarding the future of software suites. A strengthening of... View Details
Keywords: Decisions; Applications and Software; Strategic Planning; Organizational Design; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Product Development; Managerial Roles; Growth and Development Strategy; Risk and Uncertainty; Goals and Objectives; Digital Platforms; Innovation and Management; Computer Industry; Information Technology Industry
- September 1998 (Revised September 2001)
- Case
IBM's Reinventing Education (A)
Describes IBM's national innovation strategy to transform K-12 public education through new solutions developed by IBM engineers and consultants using information technology. Examples are: data warehousing in Broward County, FL schools, tracking software for the... View Details
- June 1998 (Revised January 2001)
- Case
Browser Wars, 1994-1998, The
By: David B. Yoffie and Mary Kwak
Analyzes the competition between Netscape and Microsoft in the market for Web browsers and related products. Despite its first mover advantage, Netscape sees its market share fall once Microsoft becomes "hard-core" about the Internet. By the spring of 1998, the future... View Details
- June 1998
- Background Note
The Indian Software Industry
By: F. Warren McFarlan, Avnish S. Bajaj, Michael V. Kadyan, Devtosh K Khare and Suvir S Sujan
The increasing focus in the Western World on outsourcing has fueled the growth of the Indian software export industry. This note gives background on this phenomenen. View Details
- 01 May 1998
- Conference Presentation
Rapid Learning and Adaptation in Product Development: An Empirical Study of the Internet Software Industry
By: Alan MacCormack, M. Iansiti and R Verganti
- April 1998
- Case
Katie Burke (A)
By: Myra M. Hart, Marco Iansiti and Barbara Feinberg
Follows the career of Katie Burke, HBS MBA 1995. Offers the opportunity to discuss a variety of issues, including innovation, software development, entrepreneurship, new venture design, and career choices. View Details
- January 1998 (Revised December 1998)
- Case
NSK Software Technologies Ltd.
By: Paul A. Gompers and Jeffrey M. Anapolsky
Discusses the efforts of three Israeli software engineers' efforts to bring a network security software product to market. The firm needs an investment to complete programming and start marketing. View Details
- 1997
- Book
Finding Time: How Corporations, Individuals, and Families Can Benefit from New Work Practices
By: Leslie Perlow
Why do Americans work so hard? Are the long hours spent at work really necessary to increase organizational productivity? Perlow documents the work life of employees who assume that for their own success and the success of their organization they must put in extended... View Details
- May 1997 (Revised July 1997)
- Case
Vermeer Technologies (B): Realizing the Dream
By: Ashish Nanda
The Vermeer team works day and night to develop its software offering, unforeseen difficulties and internal tensions notwithstanding. In less than a year, the product is ready. The Vermeer team waits anxiously for the market to pronounce its verdict. View Details
- May 1997 (Revised July 1997)
- Case
Vermeer Technologies (D): Making Transitions
By: Ashish Nanda
Microsoft has acquired Vermeer, and Vermeer executives are both excited and concerned as they prepare to move to Redmond. Even though the acquisition has been financially rewarding, the Vermeer engineers worry how well they will adapt to their new home. Meanwhile,... View Details
- May 1997 (Revised July 1997)
- Case
Vermeer Technologies (F): FrontPage 97
By: Ashish Nanda
Vermeer engineers work at the breakneck pace of "Internet time" to develop the next version of their software product, winning accolades from Microsoft management. Even before this version ships, however, they are faced with another punishing development schedule for... View Details
- February 1997 (Revised July 1997)
- Case
Vermeer Technologies (A): A Company Is Born
By: Ashish Nanda
Charles Ferguson has just heard from a venture capital (VC) consortium that it is willing to finance Vermeer Technologies, a company he has cofounded for developing Internet software. The funds are sorely needed, but the VCs have imposed some onerous conditions,... View Details
- December 1996 (Revised June 1998)
- Case
Midnight Networks, Inc.
By: H. Kent Bowen and Marilyn Matis
Midnight Networks, Inc., is a small computer network validation company. This case describes how the five founders built their business from operations earnings and how they established "best practices" operational processes to run their firm successfully. Operational... View Details
- November 1996 (Revised June 1999)
- Case
Living on Internet Time: Product Development at Netscape, Yahoo!, NetDynamics, and Microsoft
By: Marco Iansiti and Alan D. MacCormack
Describes how four companies in the Internet software market approach product development. Drawing upon short case studies of three recent projects, students are invited to synthesize the common attributes of development practice in turbulent environments. View Details
- September 1996 (Revised June 1998)
- Case
InterSoft of Argentina (B)
By: Linda A. Hill and Stacy Palestrant
Focuses on InterSoft of Argentina, a growing software company in Argentina. In 1993, InterSoft acquires a Russian software company and Emilo Lopez, the vice president and director of InterSoft's Systems Software Lab, must manage a creative, cross-cultural, "virtual"... View Details
- January 1996
- Case
Outrage in Cyberspace: CompuServe and the GIF Patent
By: Josh Lerner and Benjamin Conway
CompuServe, an online services vendor, informs its software developers that they must enter into a licensing agreement to use the popular GIF compression. CompuServe claims that it is forced to do so because Unisys is enforcing its patent rights in this area. Others... View Details
- April 1995 (Revised December 1997)
- Case
Silicon Graphics, Inc. (A)
By: Marco Iansiti and Ellen Stein
Based on a Silicon Valley company that has developed the capability to compete in a rapidly growing, highly turbulent environment. This capability hinges on its flexible and rapid development process, which the case characterizes in detail. Focuses on the development... View Details
- July 1994
- Case
Microsoft: Multimedia Publications (A)
By: Marco Iansiti and Ellen Stein
Microsoft Corp. has built a highly successful business around computer software (both applications and system software) using a particular organizational structure. Now that the company has chosen to enter the consumer market with a CD-ROM product, how should Microsoft... View Details