Publications

2021
Article

Evidence of Decreasing Internet Entropy: The Lack of Redundancy in DNS Resolution by Major Websites and Services

By: Samantha Bates, John Bowers, Shane Greenstein, Jordi Weinstock, Jonathan Zittrain and Yunhan Xu

This paper analyzes the extent to which the Internet’s global domain name resolution (DNS) system has preserved its distributed resilience given the rise of cloud-based hosting and infrastructure. We explore trends in the concentration of the DNS space since at least... View Details

Keywords: Domain Name System; Resilience; Entropy; Internet and the Web; Infrastructure; Performance Effectiveness; Safety; Cybersecurity

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January 2001 (Revised February 2002)
Case

Rambus, Inc.: Commercializing the Billion Dollar Idea

Rambus, Inc. was founded to develop a new type of high-speed memory chip technology to enable DRAMs to keep up with ever-faster microprocessors. After developing the technology, Rambus chose an unusual licensing approach to commercialize it. This case focuses on the... View Details

Keywords: Technological Innovation; Competition; Commercialization; Information Infrastructure; Cooperation; Technology Industry

November 1999
Case

Lucent Technologies: Optical Networking Group

By: Marco Iansiti and Barbara Feinberg

Set in June 1999, this case describes the development of a new platform product, the Wavestar OLS 400G, that responded both to a demand for greater "bandwidth" and aggressive competitors seeking to supply it. The 400G's development process took only 14 months and... View Details

Keywords: Customers; Operations; Product Development; Performance Improvement; Information Technology; Information Infrastructure

17 Jan 2017
Research & Ideas

Can China Maintain Its Economic Power?

under way by the turn of the century, as millions of workers moved from the interior to new factories on the coast, leaving behind their families for 48 weeks a year. At the same time, they were building the massive transportation View Details

Keywords: by Deborah Blagg

16 Apr 2007
Research & Ideas

Delivering the Digital Goods: iTunes vs. Peer-to-Peer

however, depends on the number of peers in the network, the amount of people that share, the state of broadband infrastructure, and the "resolution" of content. Intuitively, a better broadband infrastructure should make p2p more... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Music

September 1991 (Revised January 1998)
Case

Chaparral Steel: Rapid Product and Process Development

By: Dorothy Leonard-Barton and Gil Preuss

One of the nation's foremost mini-mills' core competence is the rapid realization of technology into products. This case describes the development of a highly innovative casting technique and features the role of the company's culture in achieving its goals. The... View Details

Keywords: Product Development; Innovation and Invention; Information Infrastructure; Product; Organizational Culture; Business Processes; Competency and Skills

01 Apr 1998
News

Snapshot: Gary DiCamillo, Polaroid's CEO

will be deciding which of those markets to pursue." With more than half of the company's business outside the United States, DiCamillo sees tremendous potential abroad, especially for instant imaging, where infrastructure is not required.... View Details

Keywords: Nancy O. Perry

2012
Chapter

Sustainable Cities: Oxymoron or the Shape of the Future?

By: Robert G. Eccles, Annissa Alusi, Amy C. Edmondson and Tiona Zuzul

Two trends are likely to define the 21st century: threats to the sustainability of the natural environment and dramatic increases in urbanization. This paper reviews the goals, business models, and partnerships involved in eight early "ecocity" projects to begin to... View Details

Keywords: Environmental Sustainability; City; Urban Development; Infrastructure; Housing; Urban Scope; Business Ventures; Business Model; Green Technology Industry

May 2004 (Revised March 2005)
Case

Music Downloads

By: David B. Yoffie and Deborah Freier

Examines the competition between competing music formats. In the '90s, the MP3 format challenged the traditional means of music distribution by allowing for storage of near CD-quality recordings at 1/10th of their previous size. The threat to traditional distribution... View Details

Keywords: Disruption; Music Entertainment; Legal Liability; Distribution; Competition; Internet and the Web; Technology Adoption; Information Infrastructure; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Music Industry

May 1997 (Revised May 2008)
Case

Intel Corporation: 1968-1997

By: Gary P. Pisano, David J. Collis and Peter K. Botticelli

Traces Intel's history and strategy from 1968 to 1997. Examines the company's decision to exit DRAMS and its entry into microprocessors. Focuses on how the company managed to achieve and sustain its competitive advantage in microprocessors, and the threats it faces in... View Details

Keywords: Market Entry and Exit; Competitive Strategy; Competitive Advantage; Information Infrastructure; Corporate Strategy; Industry Structures; Technology Industry

10 May 2004
Research & Ideas

Rethink the Value of Joint Ventures

operations. While joint ventures were always fragile entities, they appear to be both more fragile and less rewarding. This puts enormous pressure on the infrastructure of global multinationals to support these myriad transactions. How do... View Details

Keywords: by Cynthia Churchwell

01 Jun 2003
News

Up Against The Firewall

handling, storage, and protection of data and infrastructure configurations. It’s also important to establish crisis management procedures, responses, and responsibilities in the event of an attack. Despite the mounting danger posed by... View Details

Keywords: Garry Emmons; Robert Austin; Corporate Services; Computer Systems Design and Related Services; Professional Services

November 2003 (Revised December 2003)
Case

Enabling Business Strategy with IT at the World Bank

By: F. Warren McFarlan and Brian DeLacey

World Bank IT provides services (communications, applications, video conferencing, knowledge sharing, distance learning, information sharing, client commerce, crisis management, etc.) on a global basis to the poorest countries in the globe via satellites. This case... View Details

Keywords: Information Infrastructure; Globalized Economies and Regions; Information Technology; Global Strategy; Business Strategy; Banks and Banking; Banking Industry

19 Dec 2006
First Look

First Look: December 19, 2006

distinct roles, one to administer the existing institutional frameworks, including the provision of infrastructure and the administration of laws and regulations, and the second to mobilize political power to bring about modernization of... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

01 Dec 1998
News

Africa's Way

country has a First World infrastructure - financial institutions, health care, and transportation, for instance - and it is rich in natural resources." South Africa is indeed the linchpin of the region, but it also faces unique... View Details

Keywords: Susan Young and Garry Emmons

2019
Working Paper

Design Rules, Volume 2: How Technology Shapes Organizations: Chapter 17 The Wintel Standards-based Platform

By: Carliss Y. Baldwin

The purpose of this chapter is to use the theory of bottlenecks laid out in previous chapters to better understand the dynamics of an open standards-based platform. I describe how the Wintel platform evolved from 1990 through 2000 under joint sponsorship of Intel and... View Details

Keywords: Open Platforms; Bottlenecks; Wintel Platform; Disintermediation; Information Infrastructure; Applications and Software; Business History; Digital Platforms; Computer Industry

SSRN

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July 2016 (Revised November 2018)
Case

Code.org

By: John J-H Kim, Lauren Barley and Allison M. Ciechanover

The case explores Hadi Partovi’s mission to provide every K-12 student in the United States the opportunity to learn computer science. Students can assess how Partovi transformed his passion into an organization that reached millions around the globe through the launch... View Details

Keywords: Nonprofit Organizations; Information Technology; Information Infrastructure; Applications and Software; Education; Education Industry; United States

December 2001 (Revised June 2002)
Case

Shenzhen Stock Exchange

By: F. Warren McFarlan, Guoqing Chen, David Kiron and Iris T. Li

The second largest stock exchange in China, shows a surprising sophistication. This case describes the company's growth and underlying technology. View Details

Keywords: Networks; Internet and the Web; Business Growth and Maturation; Infrastructure; Financial Services Industry; China