Publications
Publications
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- All HBS Web
(1,331)
- Faculty Publications (619)
- December 1999 (Revised December 2000)
- Case
Charles Schwab: A Category of One
By: Stephen P. Bradley and Thomas H. Esperson
Examines Charles Schwab's on-line discount brokerage firm and questions whether or not Schwab has effectively balanced the old and new world of stock trading, and has remained a leader between giants like Merrill Lynch and Internet pure plays like E-Trade. Also looks... View Details
- December 1999
- Case
Sun Microsystems, Inc. (A2): Network Visions: Mike Clary on the Product that Hid in HR
By: Rosabeth M. Kanter and Jane Roessner
Chief scientist Bill Joy of Sun Microsystems, Inc. had a vision for a new product called "Jini": a network computing piece of infrastructure that would reinforce Sun's leadership role in the industry for helping define how the Internet and networking technology... 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
- December 1999 (Revised September 2000)
- Case
Excite@Home: Betting on a Broadband Revolution
By: Stephen P. Bradley and Matthew Sandoval
In January 1999, @Home, a high-speed Internet access provider, announced the $6.7 billion purchase of Excite, the second largest of the major Internet "portals." This purchase marked a continuing consolidation of companies in the Internet "content" and "access"... View Details
- November 1999 (Revised June 2000)
- Case
FairMarket: Managing Business Development
By: William A. Sahlman, Michael J. Roberts and Cathy Taylor
Describes the evolution of FairMarket, a provider of turnkey auction services to community and merchant Web sites. Describes several deals that the CEO must negotiate, requiring a view of the company's valuation. View Details
- November 1999 (Revised May 2001)
- Case
AGENCY.COM (A): Launching an Interactive Service Agency
By: Ashish Nanda, Thomas J. DeLong and Scot H. Landry
Having recently launched one of Silicon Valley's first start-ups, cofounders Chan Suh and Kyle Shannon ponder whether their interactive consulting firm is prepared to bid for work from a very large client. View Details
- November 1999 (Revised March 2003)
- Case
Webvan: Groceries on the Internet
By: John A. Deighton and Kayla Bakshi
What are the prospects for grocery shopping on the Web? This case invites a comparison of seven business models, with particular emphasis on Webvan. Why does the investment community value Webvan at $7.8 billion after less than six months of operating experience, and... View Details
- November 1999
- Case
Interactive Minds (B)
By: Ashish Nanda, Thomas J. DeLong, Christina L. Darwall and Scot H. Landry
Two recent Harvard Business School graduates start a venture capital/consulting firm focused on opportunities related to the Internet. View Details
- October 1999
- Case
ZEFER: Building a Business at Hyperspeed
In the past 18 months, ZEFER has gone from a several-person Internet consulting firm to a major player in the information-technology services industry. In particular, in the past six months, it has grown from 40 to 400 professionals, has hired a seasoned management... View Details
- October 1999 (Revised October 2005)
- Case
Autobytel.com
By: Youngme E. Moon
Autobytel enjoys first-mover advantage in the Internet new car buying space. According to a number of metrics, it is the online leader in this category. However, a number of competitors have sprung up, raising questions about the long-term viability of Autobytel's... View Details
- October 1999 (Revised March 2000)
- Case
HP Consumer Products Business Organization: Distributing Printers via the Internet
By: Rajiv Lal, Kirthi Kalyanam, Shelby Mc Intyre and Edie Prescott
In spring 1998, Pradeep Jotwani, vice president and general manager of the Consumer Products Business Organization of the Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP), was contemplating the increasing success of e-commerce and its implications for his division. The consumer products group... View Details
- September 1999 (Revised April 2000)
- Case
Novell: World's Largest Network Software Company
By: Richard L. Nolan
After phenomenal growth and market leadership in networking, founder and CEO Ray Noorda made a frontal assault on Microsoft's core strengths. In 1994, Noorda spend over $1.5 billion acquiring companies such as WordPerfect to combat Microsoft Word, products such as... View Details
- September 1999 (Revised March 2001)
- Case
Charles Schwab Corporation (A)
By: F. Warren McFarlan and Nicole Tempest
A look at the industrial restructuring in the brokerage industry made possible by e-commerce. Focuses the student's attention on the decision alternatives facing Charles Schwab, one of the industry leaders in January 1998. In a word, the challenge is "Do they slash... View Details
- September 1999 (Revised April 2000)
- Case
drugstore.com
By: Richard L. Nolan
On a clear day in August 1999 in the new headquarters of drugstore.com, against a backdrop of the Blue Angels flying in formation over Lake Washington practicing for their hydroplane Seafare Cup performance, Peter Neupert was pleased with his company's IPO performance.... View Details
- August 1999 (Revised October 1999)
- Case
RCA Records: The Digital Revolution
By: Jeffrey F. Rayport, Carin-Isabel Knoop and Cate Reavis
In 1995, Bertelsmann-owned RCA Records was considered a "tired and old" record label. By 1999, the company represented a number of the "hottest" acts in the music industry. Nevertheless, the company's position (as well as that of the entire music industry) was under... View Details
- July 1999 (Revised January 2000)
- Case
Yahoo!: Business on Internet Time
By: Jan W. Rivkin and Jay R. Girotto
In the wake of major competitive moves, CEO Tim Koogle and his senior team at Yahoo!, an Internet portal, must decide whether and how to adjust their strategy. Following deals between AOL and Netscape, Excite and @Home, Infoseek and Disney, and Snap and NBS, Yahoo!... View Details
- June 1999 (Revised May 2000)
- Exercise
Working with your "Shadow Partner" in the healthcare industry (A)
By: Richard L. Nolan
Intended to introduce individuals to search engines and databases on the Internet, in particular those that are available to HBS. This exercise is a more difficult version of Working with Your "Shadow Partner" and is intended for those with some previous Internet... View Details
- June 1999 (Revised June 2000)
- Case
Eckerd Corporation
By: Michael E. Porter and John E. Kelleher
Describes the history and current situation in the retail pharmacy industry, including competition from new merchants and Internet drugstores. Eckerd, one of the top four drug chains, must decide how to position itself for the future. View Details
- May 1999 (Revised March 2001)
- Case
Marshall Industries
Confounding predictions that the Internet would "disintermediate" commerce, making "middle man" companies all but obsolete, Marshall Industries, a leading electronics distributor, used the Internet and digital technologies to reinvent itself. Marshall continued to sell... View Details
- May 1999
- Background Note
Broadband Race, The
By: David B. Yoffie and Mary Kwak
Surveys developments in broadband in the late 1990s, focusing on the rivalry between telecom companies deploying DSL and cable companies rolling out cable modem service. Reviews the major broadband technologies, examines the state of competition in the United States,... View Details