Strategies - E-biz - Tools - Surveys - Reference - Feedback

Other Resource Pages:Knowledge Management - Virtual Working - Innovation etc.

This is a synopsis and our evaluation of key resources, on Internet Imperatives. With the enormous array of Internet resources, our focus is on those sites helpful to knowledge-based organizations wanting to use intranets, extranets and the Internet for strategic and marketing purposes. The resources are grouped by the imperatives - Strategic Internet and intranet, Internet and Electronic Commerce, Tools & Techniques, Surveys and Statistics, Reference. The views expressed are ours alone, and do not imply any recommendation on the suitability or otherwise of any resource for your specific needs. If you have any comments on our critique, or any further suggestions for inclusion in this list please email its compiler, David Skyrme. We look forward to your feedback.

There are similar resource pages for the themes of Knowledge Management (knowledge-based strategies, intellectual capital, the learning organization), Virtualization (virtual corporations, virtual teaming and telework), and Millennium Management (other management topics including innovation). Also, do not forget to review our Management Insights, publications and articles pages, the themed contents page, and our knowledge shop.

Internet and Intranet Strategies

Doing (More) Business on the Internet, Mary J. Cronin, Van Nostrand Reinhold (1995). This book (in its first edition) was probably the first to give practical guideance on the Internet. This second edition with updated cases, describes important concepts on the use the Internet in research, marketing and other applications. It is the in the depth of analysis of individual cases that makes this book a must read, even five years on. Forget her later books. This is the one to buy. You can buy it at Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk.

Cybercorp: The New Business Revolution, James Martin, Amacom (1996). Some reader might think it overhyped - Martin introduces terms like value stream, BHAGS (Big Hairy Audacious Goals), research cemetries etc. But if you overcome any aversion to such phraseology, this book is packed with many good ideas, helpful guidance and practical cases. A chapter on agents and intelligent documents, for example, offers many insights into potentially winning strategies. Our verdict: provocative and challenging. You can buy this book at Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk.

Corporate Internet Planning Guide: Aligning Internet Strategy with Business Goals, Richard J Gasgoyne and Koray Ozcubukcu, Van Nostrand Rheinhold (1997). Takes the reader through the development of a business case and ten essential steps for success e.g. envision complete customer-centric solutions, explore profit models. While some of the dot.com names and technologies have moved on, the business basics are still the same. A useful planning starter but you will need to supplement it with up to date business models. You can buy this book at Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk.

Web-Weaving: intranets, extranets and strategic alliances, Peter Lloyd and Paula Boyle, Butterworth-Heinemann (1998). A collection of contributions covering key Internet developments and how they are changing the various webs of relationships - inside organizations (intranets), outside organizations (extranets) and between organizations (strategic alliances). The first part of the book gives good coverage of key concepts e.g. organizing knowledge, electronic consumerism, automating the virtual sales force. This is followed by a number of in-depth case studies (BP, Boeing, Cisco, Bristih Library etc.), while the final section looks into the future e.g. the digital nervous system, and the future of the web by Tim Berners-Lee. Includes a version of David Skyrme's 'Virtual Teaming: 25 Principles of Proven Practice'. You can buy this book at Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk. See related books on groupware.

Internet and Elelectronic Commerce (E-biz)

In this fast changing area, magazines and websites are generally the best source of useful information and insights. Make sure you track Fortune and Business Week (especially their daily online supplement e.Biz) regularly feature developments on the Internet from a business perspectives. From an MIS perspective CIO Magazine has useful articles. For a more technical slant try the CMP site (home of Information Week and many other titles.

Web Marketing Today. A free email monthly newsletter by Dr Ralph F. Wilson. The web site has the current issue, archives (over 60 editions to date) and over 700 pages of useful material, as well as details on how to receive it via email. There are also related subscription based newsletters on ecommerce.

E-commerce Guide - Useful links to ecommerce resources. There are many such resrouce sites. but this one is as good a starter as any.

Blueprint to the Digital Economy: Wealth Creation in the Era of E-Business, eds Don Tapscott, Alex Lowy, David Ticoll, McGraw-Hill (1998). Of the many books that abound Tapscott's are the most interesting for senior executives. The problem is that many future looking insights he made in his highly praised The Digital Economy (1997) have now happened. The benefit of this book is that it is a compilation of cases from members of the Alliance for Converging Technologies, of which Tapscott is chairman. GM, Kodak, MCI and Nortel are among the companies whose e-commerce developments are featured. You can buy this book at Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk.

Opening Digital Markets : Battle Plans and Business Strategies for Internet Commerce, Walid Mougayar, McGraw-Hill (1997). Another thought provoking book on the evolving ecommerce marketplace and how corporate strategies must change. An easy read without going into too much practical detail, although chapter 6 gives a step by step guide to creating an Internet marketing strategy. You can buy this book at Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk.

Tools and Techniques

Jacok Nielsen's AlertBox. The Internet is so full of resources that it takes a while to sort the wheat from the chaff. This bi-weekly column on web usability is one of the few that is really helpful. It is a series of feature articles that include many helpful hints (e.g. The Top Ten Mistakes on the Web) from Jakob Nielsen, formerly usability head of Sun's intranet - so he knows what he's talking about.

Internet Magazine, EMAP Publishing. This UK monthly magazine (#163;19.95) gives reviews of latest products, a site surveyor, ISP statistics and plenty of guides. It also has a good web site with archives and reference sections at http://www.internet-magazine.com.

E-Business - a so-called "electronic commerce and communications megasite", but clearly aimed at tecchies. At the ZDnet site you will also find eWeek (formerly PC Week).

Surveys and Statistics

NUA Internet Surveys. This Irish site gives you the survey of surveys. It summarises the output of the major research houses like Jupiter, Forrester, Nielsen as well as many other niche companies. Good international coverage. You can also get (for free) its bi-weekly email newsletter giving latest survey statistics.

http://www.statmarket.com. This site gives realtime Internet statistics e.g. browser usage, most popular plug-ins, based on analysis of key sites.

Reference

http://w3c.org - the official WWW consortium web-site. Links to reference material on HTML, XML etc. as well as useful testing tools.

HTML: The Definitive Guide, Chuck Musciano & Bill Kennedy, O'Reilly (1998). If your into designing web pages you will want to have a good HTML Guide. I used to be a fan of The Internet for Dummies (IDG), and Learn HTML in a Week (Sams) but I find this 'definitive guide' invaluable for planning and designing a web site. You can buy this book at Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk.

O'Reilly. Plenty of useful resources from the publisher of the HTML Definitive Guide.

Your Feedback Invited

We are always looking out for resources which give breakthrough ideas and/or practical management guidance and examples. If you know of such sites or resources which would enhance this list please contact David Skyrme Associates. Email: david@skyrme.com with details. Because of the rapid growth in this field, we will not be able to include them all, but we will do our best to review them and include the very best in future updates of our resource pages.

© Copyright 1999. David J. Skyrme. All rights reserved.

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