Publications
Publications
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- All HBS Web
(2,099)
- Faculty Publications (389)
- October 2005 (Revised February 2007)
- Case
Red Flag Software Co.
By: Felix Oberholzer-Gee, Tarun Khanna, David Lane and Elizabeth Raabe
In 2005, just five years after its formal launch, Beijing-based Red Flag Software was the world's second-largest distributor of the Linux operating system and was expecting its first annual profit. On a unit basis, Red Flag led the world in desktops (PCs) shipped with... View Details
- April 2005 (Revised February 2006)
- Case
Monster Networking
By: Thomas R. Eisenmann and David Andrew Vivero
The management at Monster.com, the leading U.S. provider of online recruitment services, must decide how to proceed with Monster Networking (MN), a new business launched in late 2003. MN helps users identify other individuals who can offer career advice. Monster.com... View Details
- April 2005 (Revised June 2006)
- Case
Yahoo! Messenger: Network Integration
By: Thomas R. Eisenmann and Alison Berkley Wagonfeld
Describes Yahoo!'s management of the launch of version 6.0 of its Instant Messenger (IM) product, which incorporates features from 12 other Yahoo! properties, including Search, Music, Games, Photos, Personals, News, and Shopping. The integration of features from so... View Details
- June 2004 (Revised November 2005)
- Case
PalmSource, Inc.
By: David B. Yoffie, Pai-Ling Yin and Christina L. Darwall
PalmSource CEO David Nagel had grand ambitions. In this newly spun-off company, he wanted to create the next leading software platform for hand-held devices. Explores the strategic challenges of building a platform business. View Details
- November 2003 (Revised February 2004)
- Case
Richmond Events
By: Amy C. Edmondson and Kristin Lieb
The managers of British business forum planner, Richmond Events, are struggling to expand their conference offerings into new territories. At the same time, they are trying to decide how product managers, who are critical to event success, should be hired, trained,... View Details
- October 2003
- Case
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company: Building a Platform for Distributed Innovation
By: Marco Iansiti and Marcin Strojwas
Surging costs of building a state-of-the-art fabrication facility were pushing firms to outsource manufacturing while advanced technologies were requiring a tighter coupling between design and manufacturing. Explores the development of strategy in this environment.... View Details
- 2003
- Other Unpublished Work
Initiative for a Competitive Milwaukee: A Call to Action
The inner city of Milwaukee holds great promise, but is not advancing economically. The inner city has been hard hit by the loss of many of its largest employers as a result of relocation, acquisition and failure. According to the 2000 US Census data, thirty percent of... View Details
- July 2003 (Revised October 2013)
- Case
Model N Inc.
By: Marco Iansiti and Alison Berkley Wagonfeld
The CEO of a Silicon Valley start-up needed to make organizational and product changes to deliver a new software solution to a Fortune 500 customer. He was wondering how he should structure the company to best meet the requirements for this particular customer, while... View Details
- November 2002 (Revised February 2003)
- Case
Amazon.com-2002
By: Stig Leschly, Michael J. Roberts, William A. Sahlman and Todd H Thedinga
Describes the evolution of Amazon.com and its business model since its founding. Specifically, discusses Amazon's transformation from an e-Tailer to a commerce platform and its marketplace initiative, which has driven this. Also describes the economics of various... View Details
- October 2001
- Case
Meg Whitman and eBay Germany
By: Linda A. Hill and Maria Farkas
After acquiring the German online auction company Alando.de, eBay CEO Meg Whitman and her team must integrate Alando's Web site with the company's existing platform. The acquisition is the first step of eBay's journey to become a global trading platform. In addition to... View Details
- February 2001 (Revised August 2001)
- Case
WholesalerDirect
By: Alan D. MacCormack and Kerry Herman
Describes the development of WholesalerDirect, a B2B electronic commerce venture in the plumbing, heating, cooling, and piping industry. Adam Berger, the CEO, is trying to raise funding to roll out the company's e-commerce platform to the industry's more than 3,000... View Details
- November 2000 (Revised November 2005)
- Case
Tellme Networks, Inc.
By: Thomas R. Eisenmann and Nicole Tempest
Tellme, an early-stage, venture-backed company based in Silicon Valley, leverages speech-recognition technologies to provide: 1) a "voice portal" with news and other information accessible through any telephone, and 2) turnkey application development and hosting... View Details
- November 2000
- Case
FireDrop
By: William A. Sahlman and Michael J. Roberts
Describes the evolution of FireDrop, a new venture-backed company that has developed a new platform for e-mail communication. The FireDrop application--called a Zaplet--allows for e-mails to be continually updated so they are current when read (rather than when sent).... View Details
- September 2000 (Revised October 2006)
- Teaching Note
Wildfire Communications, Inc. (A) and (B) (TN)
Teaching Note for (9-396-305) and (9-396-306). View Details
- February 2000 (Revised May 2001)
- Case
eBricks.com
eBricks.com is developing an online marketplace for construction materials. The start-up company faces two decisions: 1) whether to merge with BluelineOnline.com, a firm providing project management solutions for the construction industry; and 2) whether to develop an... View Details
- December 1999
- Case
Sun Microsystems, Inc. (A4): Sun Peak: Helen Yang and Mark Walden on "Running Sun on Sun"
By: Rosabeth M. Kanter and Jane Roessner
SunPeak was the largest project Sun Microsystems, Inc. had ever undertaken: shifting Sun's entire business transaction system from a mainframe-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to a Sun-based system. Making the shift would be complicated and financially... View Details
- November 1999 (Revised June 2000)
- Case
VerticalNet (www.verticalnet.com)
By: Das Narayandas
VerticalNet, a leading creator of targeted business-to-business vertical trade communities on the Internet, is trying to expand its model to facilitate e-commerce. Mark Walsh, the CEO of VerticalNet, has to decide how far he can extend the firm's business model without... View Details
- 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
- August 1997 (Revised February 1999)
- Case
Argentina's YPF Sociedad Anonima (D): The International Platform
By: Michael Y. Yoshino and Carin-Isabel Knoop
In March 1995, YPF (the former Argentine state-owned oil and gas utility, privatized in late 1993) acquired the Dallas-based Maxus Energy Corp., one of the world's largest independent oil and gas exploration companies. YPF's first acquisition is nearly bankrupt, with... View Details
- March 1996 (Revised August 2000)
- Case
Wildfire Communications, Inc. (A)
By: Jeffrey F. Rayport and Mary Connor
Founder and CEO Bill Warner is faced with critical decisions regarding the product lines, target markets, and technology platforms that his start-up, Wildfire Communications, Inc., will pursue. In addition to the question of strategic focus across these lines of... View Details