Customer Reviews

Enterprise.com

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I was excited to get started reading this book because one got the feeling that this was a work by an important "insider" looking at the information revolution. It was singular disappointment. Much too much time has been spent talking about his experience at Lotus and far too little on the specifics of what the information revolution entails. Th examples are uninspiring, old news. I was terribly disappointed although it did show very brief flashes of excellence. Don't waste your money.

Those in need of a strategic guide to the network economy will find a wealth of valuable material in this book. The titles of its ten chapters suggest the nature and extent of subjects covered: The Information Economy, Pricing Information, Versioning Information, Rights Management, Recognizing Lock-In, Managing Lock-In, Networks and Positive Feedback, Cooperation and Compatibility, Waging a Standards War, and Information Policy. In effect, Information Rules combines all of the benefits of an operations manual with the counsel of two renowned experts who accompany the reader, step by step, through the manual.

According to the authors, the thesis of their book is that "durable economic principles can guide you through today's frenetic business environment. Technology changes. Economic laws do not. If you are struggling to comprehend what the Internet means for you and your business, you can learn a great deal from the advent of the telephone system a hundred years ago." That's true. The interdependence of information (software) and infrastructure (hardware) will always be important, indeed imperative. Therefore, interconnection battles are won only if, for example, local telephone companies in 1900 were interconnected with Bell to provide long-distance service and, 100 years later, browsers are interconnected with operating systems.

Who will gain the greatest value from this book? Owners/CEOs of small-to-midsize companies which are struggling to decide what to do...and what not to do...with opportunities created by the Internet and, more specifically, the WWW. Also, senior-level executives of much larger organizations (both for-profit and not-for-profit) who must formulate long-term strategies to achieve sustainable prudent growth.

For thousands of years, there has never been a shortage of available information but until the printing press, access to it was severely limited. Since then, a variety of media have broadened and deepened that access and, indeed, the volume of available information has increased exponentially.

Which strategies will be most effective when one faces such challenges? Those discussed and illustrated in Enterprise.com are worthy of careful consideration.

Let's start at the top - sure Papows was booted out of office for, among other things (such as non-performance), claiming to be a "Top Gun" Navy war hero pilot (complete with flightsuit that he kept in his office)- when he wasn't ... oppps! But then again, he did help build build Lotus into a world leadershipship position (before it crumbled after its acquisition - like most do).

While his personal inegrity leaves much to be desired, this is actually a very good book (testimony to a split personality or a *&#$ good ghost-writer). It clearly outlines how internet businesses need to capitalize upon the advantages of technology, while building their business upon the basic principles of good business anywhere. If only Mary Meeker, et al had read this book before the internet "bubble" burst ...!

While slightly dated, this is a worthy read for those interested in what the internet can and cannot do for their business.

This book brings out a conceptual framework for relating Data, Information, Knowledge and Work - and leveraging on IT to enable the Market Facing Enterprise to gain competitive advantage. Concise and to the point- Good reading.

When I was first recommended to read the book, it was with some fear and trepidation that this was another one of those high-sounding products of a technologist, infatuated with the beauty of technology and oblivious to the pitfalls and confusion that technology brings with it.

However, I must say that Jeff Papows reveals interesting insights and explains seemingly technical complexities in an astonishingly simple way. His realistic portrayal of the benefits of technology is coupled with the honest admission of the confusion that technology brings with it. This gives credibility to his writing - to readers like me, a non-technologist - that here is one who is not so enraptured by the potentials of the web that he glosses over the pitfalls. He looks into the future and sees the advances in technology as a gateway to new opportunity as well as a possible guillotine to obsolete and outmoded ones.

Perhaps, it is his brand of humour that I enjoy and finds it fitting in the conclusion of his book - and a resolution to be more wary of conversations made at the window seat of a plane!

It is a must read book for every IT Professional. Being a Lotus Notes Consultant I am happy & proud to have something like this from CEO of Lotus. Well written & good knowledge.

An valuable insight into the emerging technologies and their impact on the information economy. Great to read an academic perspective from someone so deeply involved with the organisations and people shaping our business futures.

A wide-ranging exploration of the networked world we have just entered with the World Wide Web and the Internet. The author, CEO of Lotus, examines ways in which organizations, markets, the nature of competition, and our global society are changing, driven by advances in technology, particularly IT. He introduces the concept of Market-Facing Systems and the Extended Enterprise. He delves into how technology is redefining all aspects of business and highlights seven areas of industry transformation: on-line delivery products and services; industry convergence; value chain extraction; value chain insertion; changing industry concentration; product transformation; and a changing geographic mix. Papows also explores the obstacles IT faces, the race for global leadership, and many more subjects.

If you want to understand what is happening and what is coming in business, this book is the practical, content-rich guide you need. Highly recommended. Reviewed by Gerry Stern, founder of hrconsultant.com. and Stern & Associates.

Among all the business guides to the Internet out there, Enterprise.com stands out as a practical, market-tested manual for success in the infomation age. Jeff Papows has clearly mastered the winning concepts for the emerging real-world of electronic commerce. Need proof? His company has thousands of customers reaping the benefits of his knowledge and experience today in some of the world's most competitive markets.

For readers who want to get on the Internet train, but aren't sure whether the train is already moving too fast, this is a great read. I'm in the arts and thinking about starting an internet based business to replace my current "day job." I used to use 1-2-3 and thought I'd get this book from the founder of Lotus, and I got a really good sense from this book as to what's really involved, how the big companies are using this stuff and how small businesses can too, and it was on my level. I may get other help now, but this was great background for me, and I am pretty uninitated.