Partners.com: How To Profit From The New Dna Of Business [Hardcover]

Michael Cunningham (Author), Michael J. Cunningham (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 19, 2001

Partnerships are the lifeblood of e-commerce. But most businesses haven't a clue how to begin setting up innovative alliances such as co-opetition arrangements, affiliate programs, web distribution, event marketing, and websourcing. Help has arrived. Partners.com shows businesses how to forge leading-edge Internet partnerships fast-with competitors, customers, employees, and other businesses. From Amazon's consumer affiliate program to General Motors' sophisticated online distribution model, Cunningham demonstrates how relationships that would have taken years to develop prior to the Internet are now taking days or even hours.Partners.com pulls back the curtain to reveal the specifics of these new and better ways of doing business. It presents a clear picture of companies, such as eBay, Altra, GoFish, Egghead, VerticalNet, and Yahoo, that are utilizing technology-driven partnerships. As businesses focus on finding profitable strategies, partnerships will not be just one option, but rather the new weapon of choice for succeeding in e-commerce.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Michael Cunningham believes online alliances are one of the most effective tools for developing the power and leverage needed to prosper in today's business world. An avid practitioner of such arrangements in his own Harvard Computing Group consulting firm, Cunningham presents a strong argument for these affiliations, along with a comprehensive guide to their creation in Partners.com. "Today, it is no longer possible for firms to do it all alone," he writes. "Whether it is hardware for a computer system, a hosting service to provide e-commerce capabilities, or a distribution partner that will sell and service products, partners are essential." Showing precisely why these associations are particularly potent in areas like sales, finance, and distribution, Cunningham details the steps involved in their formation and implementation, beginning with the partnership he considers most essential: the one that must be forged between organizations and their employees before any of these others can even hope to succeed. Drawing upon winning coalitions created by B2B and B2C endeavors such as eBay, GoFish.com and Convistint, Cunningham then delves into everything from the technology involved to the contracts required. The result is a thorough examination aimed at those serious about finding innovative ways to improve their operations. --Howard Rothman

From Publishers Weekly

With too much jargon and not enough tangible examples or "how-tos," consultant Cunningham ably discusses the various types of partnerships, including the relatively new concept of private exchanges, where pre-certified buyers and sellers interact. But he only broadly addresses why the best partnerships succeed and doesn't deliver much firsthand feedback from companies in successful associations.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books; First edition. edition (June 19, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738205028
• ISBN-13: 978-0738205021
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,041,178 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Michael Cunningham is the President and founder of the Harvard Computing Group (HCG), a software and services firm and creators of the TaskMap product line. (http://taskmap.com) He is author of many books including his latest Finish What You Start (Kaplan August 2006), B2B: How to Build a Profitable E-commerce Strategy (Perseus Books) and Smart Things to Know About E-commerce (Capstone). Since 1994, Cunningham has been involved in the development of Internet based strategies and products with HCG's client base, improving their operational efficiency, technology systems, work processes, business partnerships and distribution systems. His deep understanding of the best ways to blend business goals, work processes and the effective use of E-commerce tools provides a unique perspective in the marketplace, one which Harvard's client have been able to leverage. His extensive operational and management skills have helped his clients through challenging transitions, providing new programs and business opportunities for their own clients. With over 20 years of experience in the development and delivery of complex software systems and their deployment, Cunningham is a sought after speaker and regularly contributes to magazines and publications in the Information Technology and E-commerce community.

Michael J. Cunningham

The Harvard Computing Group, Inc.
94 Jackson Road,
Devens, MA 01434

Tel: [phone] x101
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't be fooled by the .com in the title- this is for all, June 19, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Partners.com: How To Profit From The New Dna Of Business (Hardcover)

This book is a prize! For those that are looking for the details behind partnerships the information here is not only relevant, but very comprehensive. The mixture of technology, strategy and culture required to pull of good partnerships is difficult for organizations trying to make it happen. Cunningham provides not only a great roadmap, but illustrated with real world examples of what has and has not worked. Do not be fooled by the .com in the title, this book is targeted at all businesses. I particularly liked the sections on self-service Partnerships and the "most important partners, your staff". A practical piece with great strategic insight. Organizations will be able to use this to hone their competitiveness, internal and external consultants will buy to emulate all that has been learned on this topic.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A REAL WORLD GUIDE TO PARTNERSHIPS, June 21, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Partners.com: How To Profit From The New Dna Of Business (Hardcover)

Complex topics such as partnerships tend to be covered in a very fragmented manner. Partners.com does not have this problem. Cunningham ably deals with the people, process, technology and market issues that forge partnerships, but also how to manage, measure and change them. Rarely are these areas covered in sufficient detail, but here there is a roadmap with milestones and strategies that are working in the marketplace. Partners.com does for partnerships what Patti Seybold's Customers.com did for customer relationships. A classic!