A representative sample of the many case studies I've written of big cap online businesses.
Case Study: US Search
You might say it's the best of times and the worst of times for US Search. Not surprisingly, there's a big demand for the company's services. For a fee, US Search will tell you everything publicly known about an individual, from address and phone number to divorce and other court records, relatives, roommates and neighbors, real estate ownership and value, tax...
Case Study: LivePerson: Searching for the Personal in E-Commerce
For all of its advantages, online retailing still misses one of most persuasive sales tools used in traditional retailing: a sales clerk who says hello and offers help. Robert LoCascio wants to change that...
Case Study: Inter-Tel/Oracle
Perhaps the most unusual aspect of Inter-Tel's e-commerce venture is that it was launched in August 2001. In a period in which Net-related budgets were slashed industry-wide, the company did the unthinkable and launched a major online initiative...
Case Study: Buy.com
Company In an approach that Buy.com chief operating officer Brent Rusick describes as "more efficient than any other out there," the e-tailer's orders are filled directly from its distribution partners. Unlike some of its competitors, the site has no warehouses and so avoids the expense of inventory...
Case Study: Sciquest/IBM
Change is a constant, especially in the world of B2B e-commerce. In the late '90s, Sciquest, based in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, was a virtual distributor. It sold chemicals and laboratory equipment to pharmaceuticals and other research-intensive clients, without ever holding inventory itself...
Case Study: BuySeasons/Microsoft Commerce 2000
Company For some, Halloween means dressing up as Darth Vader and pestering the neighbors. For Jalem Getz, Halloween is a major e-commerce opportunity. Getz is CEO of BuySeasons, which operates BuyCostumes.com...
Case Study: iGo.com and Microsoft Commerce 2000
By James Maguire Company iGo.com's e-commerce strategy is focused squarely on the busy professional. Based in Reno, Nevada, the site sells a full catalog of mobile communication and laptop accessories. The site's goal is to completely cover this niche -- it offers some 20,000 products from 350 suppliers...
Case Study: StaplesLink.com and IBM's WebSphere
Lisa Hamblet is in the middle of a very big job overseeing the upgrade of StaplesLink.com's e-commerce platform. As vice president of B2B e-commerce for Staples, Hamblet manages the online superstore for the multi-billion dollar office supply retailer Staples...
Case Study: Monster.com
In a tight job market, it's not surprising that times are tough for Monster and its parent company, TMP Worldwide. What is surprising is that Monster, the Internet unit of TMP, is doing much better than the company's traditional divisions...
