E-Business Transformation via Alliance Clusters

Ghandour, Fares A., Girsen-Swartz, Pauliina, Grenek, Heidi and Roberts, Edward B., "E-Business Transformation via Alliance Clusters" (September 2001). MIT Sloan Working Paper No. 4178-01.

Abstract:

The number of firms using alliances as part of their corporate venturing or market entry strategies has surged over the past decade. Three common reasons cited for pursuing alliances are technology convergence, market access and alliance partners' complementary resources. This paper contrasts the alliance strategies of HP and IBM, two major competitors in electronic services (i.e., Internet-based "e-service") businesses. Whereas the HP strategy is to attempt to establish its technology infrastructure as the standard e-services infrastructure on the Internet, IBM aims to position its IBM Global Services, rather than its technology, at the center of this ecosystem.

Facts on IBM Software

WebSphere refers to a brand of IBM software products, although the term also popularly refers to one specific product: WebSphere Application Server (WAS).

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With Rational, IBM now will provide a complete software development environment for companies that want to integrate their business processes and software infrastructure across their companies and with suppliers, customers and employees. This requires the integration of data management, systems management, collaboration, transaction and business process integration middleware and software development. The acquisition of Rational will strengthen IBM’s leadership in each of these segments, including software development, and reinforces IBM's commitment to open industry standards. The acquisition is an important element of IBM's e-business on demand strategy.

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