Knowledge@Wharton -- Managing Technology

Seven Steps for Board Success in the Facebook Age

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:37:38 EST

With the February 1 announcement of its mammoth public offering, Facebook is basking in the limelight and has become yet another reminder of the dramatic impact that the social, mobile and cloud revolutions are having on customer communications and shareholder interest. Is it time for boards, and their directors, to reinvent themselves to keep pace? Yes, according to this opinion piece by Barry Libert, CEO of OpenMatters, a company that invests in social technologies and advises boards of directors and executives on the impact of new technologies on corporate governance and enterprise risk management.

Post SOPA, What Is the Next Frontier for Internet Copyright Protection?

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:41:52 EST

The Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect IP Act, bills aimed at curbing Internet piracy, sparked polarizing debate, including some websites going dark in protest. Both pieces of legislation have been shelved, but the core issues remain unresolved. The overriding question is how to regulate the Internet enough to protect intellectual property, while not violating individual freedoms and curbing innovation. Wharton faculty members clarify the issues and offer ideas about how they can be addressed.

Under New Leadership, Will Yahoo Find Its Way?

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:33:22 EST

When Scott Thompson was named Yahoo's new CEO effective January 9, he became the fourth person in five years to take charge of the ailing Internet giant. Experts at Wharton say that Thompson, who was previously president of eBay's PayPal unit, might be Yahoo's last hope for becoming relevant again as a player in online display advertising, a market which the media company once dominated. But his main challenge, they say, is the same as his predecessors': Define what Yahoo wants to be.

The Microsoft Effect: Will Google Become What It Fears?

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:05:55 EST

Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs once warned Google co-founder Larry Page that the search giant was dangerously close to becoming another Microsoft -- that is, a company spreading itself too thin by trying to do everything. In recent years, Google has grown from being simply a search engine to having a hand in a range of sectors, an expansion that some worry will make it more difficult for innovative ideas to come to the surface. How can Google avoid some of the missteps made by Microsoft during its rapid expansion? And what can it learn from Microsoft's successes?

The Customer Lifetime Value Equation: Will It Pay Off for Tech Companies?

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:00:31 EST

Amazon will lose money on each Kindle Fire it sells. Sprint is not expected to turn a profit selling Apple's iPhone for at least three years. Both companies are banking on customer lifetime value (CLV), a marketing formula based on the idea of spending money up front to gain customers whose loyalty will reap rewards over the long term. The model is becoming more and more popular among technology companies, and as software companies increasingly turn to subscription-based business models through cloud computing, CLV will become an even larger issue, according to Wharton experts.

'Drinking from a Fire Hose': Has Consumer Data Mining Gone Too Far?

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 14:27:39 EST

Today's ever-expanding cache of online data is a store in more ways than one. Every tweet tweeted, badge unlocked, website searched and "Like" button clicked adds to the growing inventory of user information. Data miners then sort it, package it, market it -- and companies use it to better target customers. But how much sharing is too much, especially when consumers are not given a say over how their data is used? And is the exploding availability of information actually making companies less adept at predicting consumer behavior?

The New Software Pricing Model: Can the Older Giants Compete?

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 15:16:32 EST

Cloud computing is not only changing how users access software applications, it's also upending the pricing model for software products. Fading fast are the days when software packages were sold in boxes with a one-time, perpetual license fee. Instead, consumers and businesses are increasingly turning to subscription models and are buying only those applications they need for particular tasks rather than broad, general-purpose suites. How are Microsoft, Oracle and other established companies that have traditionally relied on the boxed approach adapting to the new reality?

Unwiring the Enterprise: Are You Ready to Lose Control?

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 12:00:30 EST

Armed with powerful mobile devices, consumers and employees have become the force behind a wireless wave of change. Whether they are seeking discounted prices or looking to coordinate a sales campaign, these mobile end-users are growing impatient with companies that are still trying to control behavior and the sharing of information. Enterprises that fail to learn how to give up some of that control could soon find themselves in the back of the pack. There are five ways to ride the Wireless Wave, write the authors of this opinion piece -- Todd Hewlin, managing director of TCG Advisors, a boutique consulting firm in Silicon Valley, and Scott Snyder, a senior fellow at Wharton and author of The New World of Wireless: How to Compete in the 4G Revolution.

Social Media in the C-Suite: Listening, Learning and Creating a Strategy from the Top Down

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:52:54 EST

As social media becomes more pervasive in the modern business landscape, creating a strategy for its use can no longer be confined to the tech or marketing side of any operation. In the recently released book, Social Media Leadership: How to Get off the Bench and into the Game, author Michael F. Lewis, chairman and CEO of business services company ILD, offers managers a guide to understanding and leveraging tools such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Groupon.

Life after Steve Jobs: What to Expect from the Next Generation at Apple

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:52:54 EST

The death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs jolted the tech industry and prompted questions about where the visionary company goes from here. With Tim Cook now at the helm, the company is expected to shift from a focus on one figure at the top to more of a team approach. But can Apple sustain the culture of innovation that Jobs cultivated -- and continue its string of hits in an increasingly crowded market?

Is RIM Riding on the Edge?

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 13:16:47 EST

This fall, Research in Motion (RIM) is launching an armada of new smartphone devices based on its latest BlackBerry operating system in a big bet that it can reverse an ongoing slide in market share. Once so popular among corporate customers that its products were dubbed "CrackBerry" by addicted users, the company has lost significant ground since the launch of Apple's iPhone and Google's Android-based devices. Can it recover? Wharton experts say it's a dangerous period for RIM, but some changes in strategy might help.

What's Fueling the Tech Patent Bull Market?

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 15:07:07 EST

Pick any company in the technology industry, and you are likely to find a patent lawsuit associated with it. Oracle is suing Google for Android royalties; Motorola and Microsoft are in court; Apple is suing mobile phone manufacturer HTC and is waging a high-profile battle with Samsung. "There's a state of open warfare around patents," one Wharton expert notes. Why are the stakes for patents rising so quickly, particularly in the mobile market? And is a "patent bubble" in the making?

Different Worlds: Do Recommender Systems Fragment Consumers' Interests?

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 15:20:29 EST

The rise of computer-driven recommendation systems designed to help consumers navigate a growing ocean of choice is prompting concerns that the hyperpersonalization of information sources will lead to harmful divisions throughout society. A new study on consumer purchasing patterns in the music industry suggests the opposite. The paper, by Wharton researchers Kartik Hosanagar, Andreas Buja and Daniel M. Fleder, is titled, "Will the Global Village Fracture into Tribes: Recommender Systems and their Effects on the Consumer."

Upheaval at HP and Apple: What's Next for Tech

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 15:20:29 EST

It's been a month of seismic change for the tech sector. Hewlett-Packard, the largest computer and printer maker in the world, may begin to transition away from hardware by jettisoning its PC division. Meanwhile, Apple is facing the end of an era, with the announcement that visionary leader Steve Jobs is relinquishing his role as CEO. Knowledge@Wharton asked Wharton management professors Saikat Chaudhuri and David Hsu to discuss the outlook -- and future opportunities -- for HP and Apple.

Is Zynga's Dependence on Facebook the Key to Its Success -- Or Its Downfall?

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 14:33:48 EST

By most measures, Zynga -- creator of social games such as FarmVille and Mafia Wars -- is a success. The company is profitable and attracts millions of users each day. But the solid business has one potentially fatal flaw -- its dependence on Facebook's platform and user base. Can Zynga, which recently filed for an IPO, diversify beyond the social network? And does it need to, as the Internet world becomes increasingly interconnected?

Facebook's Ethan Beard: Driving Engagement -- and Growth -- Through 'Social Design'

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 12:04:02 EST

As director of platform partnerships for Facebook, Ethan Beard oversees the network of developers who build on the social media giant's user network to create applications and sharing features for websites. In an interview at the recent Wharton Global Alumni Forum in San Francisco, Beard discussed the next wave of growth opportunities for Facebook, and why he expects "social design" to become a source of disruption in a number of industries, from gaming to retail to commerce.

Web 3.0: The 'Social Wave' and How It Disrupts the Internet

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 14:44:24 EST

Forget Web 2.0. During a panel on social media at the recent Wharton Global Alumni Forum, industry experts argued that we are now in a "third wave" of disruption in the tech sector. While the post-bubble era was about user-generated content, they say the future will be centered on filtering the immense amount of data available on the web and helping users find information from the people they care about most -- their friends.

The Innovation Gap: As Product Cycles Turn, Nokia and RIM Scramble for Market Share

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 14:55:03 EST

Nokia and Research in Motion are the latest tech companies to be caught in an innovation gap: Both are touting "next big thing" smartphones that are as much as a year away, while hoping to convince customers to continue buying their current -- in some cases soon-to-be-obsolete -- devices. To minimize losses, Wharton experts say, the firms should explore new markets and pricing schemes for the old products even as they try to maintain their presence in the rapidly evolving smartphone arena.

Facebook's Future on the Open Market

Wed, 25 May 2011 16:03:17 EST

Within the next year, Facebook is expected to follow LinkedIn's lead and become a public company. Beyond speculation about what LinkedIn's recent successful IPO means for Facebook or other social media companies like Zynga, Groupon and Twitter, experts wonder whether going public will require a level of transparency from Facebook that could expose its weaknesses.

With Its New Music Storage and Player, Can Amazon Deliver in the Cloud?

Wed, 11 May 2011 16:38:59 EST

With the new Cloud Drive and Cloud Player, Amazon.com is taking media management virtual, allowing consumers to store and access their music remotely on Amazon's servers ("in the cloud," as it is known) and deliver it on demand to computers, tablets and smartphones. Experts and analysts expect Apple and others to launch competing music-related "locker" services, just as Google did on May 10. Amazon's move, which raises a number of legal questions, is also part of an effort by the company to become more entrenched with consumers, and possibly take on Apple's dominance in digital music sales and tablets.