Customer Reviews

Place to Space: Migrating to Ebusiness Models

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There are two unique e-business books that are presently available: the first is e-business 2 by Kalakota and Robinson and the second is now this book "Place to Space". Where e-business 2 deals with the technological software infrastructure, "Place to Space" deals with the business models an e-business can adopt. The central idea of the book is that there are 8 atomic business models that exist. They can be used individually or in combination. The models are: Content provider, direct to consumer, full service provider, intermediary, shared infrastructure, value net integrator, virtual community and whole of enterprise. The authors spend a chapter for each model describing the details of it. For each model examples are given with detailed statistics over how each one is producing revenue and whether it is now profitable or future profits are possible. The real diamonds in the book are the e-business model schematics (essentially detailed diagrams about how each model works). These diagrams explain in a simple way the most complicated models and it is worth buying the book just for these diagrams alone. Apart from the e-business model diagrams each business model is extensively analysed from the point of view of the infrastructure required, value proposition, strategic objectives, revenue sources, critical success factors and core competencies necessary. There are extensive examples and various case studies. The book is entirely focused on the business and strategic side of e-business. It makes sense of the business models of Amazon, ebay, Yahoo, etrade, iVillage, Reuters, Lonely Planet and many other major ebusinesses. Anybody involved or interested in e-business should now or in the future read this book. It charts former pioneer territory. Potentially an e-business Bible.

I was looking for an e-business book that would be useful for the MBA classes I teach - this fits the bill nicely. Readable, not technical, not overly academic, and not full of the usual e-hype! In fact, tends to a negative outlook. The "atomic business models" are familiar, but it's worthwhile to have them defined with some rigour. Useful mini-case studies and anecdotes.

It seems that all books that refer to ecommerce and respective issues are all alike. This is not a bad book. On the contrary, it makes some very interesting points. But it is no breakthrough. It's just a different way of categorizing the different forms of business currently online. The proposed models are undoubtedly interesting and pretty much cover everything. Unless you are new in this area, don't bother.

Dr. Vitale and Dr. Weill have written a thoughtful, fact based, believable book. Not e-hype, this book should be read by any executive or technical leader who is entering - or reentering - cyberspace with their business. "We have moved" is the teaser line on the cover art but what Weill and Vitale clearly show is that "we have dispersed" is more accurately the case. If you are in the process of developing your business strategy for the new millenium and the next decade, the clear diagrams and examples given in this book will give you the facts necessary to recognize not only where you currently fit, but what it might take you to get where you want to go. These two professors have had a unique opportunity to immerse with business leaders and interact with hundreds of consultants over the past two years focusing on the ebusiness space. The results of these interactions are distilled into this cogent work. A must read. Also look at another book co-authored by Peter Weill and Marcia Broadbent entitled "Leveraging the New Infrastructure" which provides additional actionable thought on the technical side of e-business.

This book is an outstanding description of business models on the Internet. The book describes basic generic models and how they can be combined to provide value for the customer and the business. I have used these models very successfully in my consulting work to develop new strategies for bricks and mortar companies trying to take advantage of the Internet. Recommended for everyone trying to decide what to do in the Internet space.

exact product at an affordable price w a smooth transaction

It has conceptualised the idea of business models into an atomic form and allows these atomic models to either stand alone or be joined together. As e-business evolves, increasingly we see the molecular form.

Great book to read to get up to speed on business models for e-business.

I find this book provides an insightful deconstruction of things past - the B2B/B2C business models of the new economy pre April 2001, but neither provides insight into the realities of todays strategic use of the internet as a business channel/media, nor of lessons learned from past failures.

More insights from business experience, not academic deconstruction please!