MD253/MK252 - Electronic Commerce
Readings/Course Schedule - Spring 2006
Note: podcasts for this e-commerce course available at: http://www.gallaugher.com/ecpodcastsspring2006.html and via iTunes.
KEY DATES & DELIVERABLES AT A GLANCE
Jan. 25 WebPage Creation in Nvu
Feb. 1
 Select project teams (guidelines posted on Projects page)
Feb. 15
Assignment Due: Group Resources Page
Feb. 23 (Thurs.)
 Submit Five Possible Exam Questions With Answers to Question Submission Website (link to be posted after class, do not e-mail questions)
March 1
 Exam I, in class, during your normal section time
April. 27
 Each group should post their executive summary as a link from the group's index page. 
April 27
 Submit Five Possible Exam Questions With Answers to Question Submission Website (link to be posted after class, do not e-mail questions)
May 1 & 3 Group Presentations (during scheduled class time)
Students should read all executive summaries prior to the presentations
May 8
 Final Exam - 4:30 PM, Fulton 117 (check exam schedule to confirm before making travel plans)
CLASS SCHEDULE
Each week I will update the list below with selected readings for the next week.  In most cases these readings will be moved directly from the next items in the UPCOMING READINGS AND TOPICS list that follows the CLASS SCHEDULE below.  Those wishing to read ahead can use the UPCOMING READINGS AND TOPICS list, but be aware that readings will change.  Please note that it is common for us to not get to all of the reading listed for a class.  We need to 'overplan' rather than 'underplan'.  This likely means that you may prepare readings for one week that are pushed to subsequent weeks.  When reading, take notes to assist you in reviewing prior to class.  Check back regularly for updates & feel free to contact me if you have questions / problems / comments / or if you need clarification of our current point in the reading list.  I'm most happy to help out.

Most readings have questions listed after them.  These questions are meant to provoke thought during reading.  You will not hand in answers to these questions, but you should be prepared to discuss answers to these (and related) questions if called upon in class . Many students find it helpful to use a highlighter when reading articles, to prepare notes on the readings and questions prior to each class, and to refer to these notes when we discuss the topics. You'll notice that many readings are very recent (less than a year old). This gives our class a currency impossible to achieve through a textbook.  Inevitably there may be updates regarding some players & technologies, however the reason some older articles are kept is that they offer highly relevant material related to class topics.  When relevant, updated information on firms & technologies will be provided in lecture or via the optional WiG readings.

In most cases you can click on the title of the article listed below to load that article's web page.  For those articles below labeled with  Business Source Premier or Factiva after them, the direct links only work for computers on the BC network or those accessing via Boston College dialup number or using the VPN .  Those not wishing to use the VPN or BC dialup can search for the articles in the respective databases, but trust me - it's worth either saving time & printing on campus or investing the time figuring out how to use the VPN (see BC's VPN help page if you need help configuring your remote connection for VPN and see the BC Help Desk for additional support). Occasionally magazines will reorganize their web sites and previous links will become 'broken'.  If this happens, please e-mail me about the broken link.  I'll be sure to fix the link as soon as I can.  Note that most web sites have search engines where you can hunt down the new link, and you can always check Business Source Premier or Factiva for a copy of most magazine & newspaper articles (if these links are broken, you can find these resources in the BC Libraries Online Resources).  Occasionally a website will require a free registration.  This is safe to do, however those concerned may be interested to learn about BugMeNot (not that I advocate this).

WEEK 1 – Jan. 18

Course Introduction

Read the MD253 Syllabus , and become familiar with online materials such as the FAQ , Press Pass , and Resources.

WEEK 2 – Jan. 23 & 25 – Assignment Due by Jan. 25: WebPage Creation in Nvu

First Case: Are eBusinesses Better?

The Online Grocer Version 2.0 , Fortune, Nov. 25, 2002 [Business Source Premier]
Note: This article is a bit older than some of the others you'll read, but it provides the best introduction to  the firm's model.   I'll update the latest stats & developments in class.
- and -
A Fresh Look at Loyalty , Direct, May 15, 2004  [Business Source Premier]
[Access Note: After clicking above link, click on the 'pdf' icon at top of page]
What advantages does FreshDirect have over traditional retailers?  How does FreshDirect’s distribution channel differ from traditional grocery stores (think about suppliers, warehousing, interaction with customers, facilities, etc.)?  Why does FreshDirect have better supplier relationships than those in other industries?  What makes the model work well in NYC?  Do you think it will work well in other parts of the country?  Why or why not?  How vulnerable do you think FreshDirect is to rivals and imitators?  Does FreshDirect have any assets for sustainable competitive advantage?  If so, what would they be?  How has FreshDirect encouraged customers to use its service?  What were the problems with the original approach and how did it fine tune the effort?

Distribution Channels – Disintermediation

E-Commerce and the Undulating Distribution Channel, Communications of the ACM, July 2002.
How to access: From campus or using BC dialup or VPN (it is not available for non-BC dialup, cable, or DSL users), visit the Citation Page for this article.  Scroll down until you see a .pdf icon (it's just under the words FULL TEXT on the left-hand side of the screen, you may have to scroll about 1/3 of the page to see it).  Click the pdf icon.
[this article will be discussed in parts throughout our distribution channel lectures.  Our first discussion will include through p. 90. Stop at the section 'Shifting the Channel: Channel Pressure]
What is disintermediations?  Which firms have failed at disintermediation and why? 

WEEK 3 – Jan. 30 & Feb. 1 – Assignment Due by Feb. 1: Select project teams (guidelines posted on Projects page)

Distribution Channels – Disintermediation

The evolution of Expedia provides lessons on how a firm grew to market dominance, and how changes in the industry's competitive environment can impact the leaders.  Read the following two articles to understand Expedia's evolution - the reasons it has grown successfully and the challenges it has faced as the travel market has changed.
Expedia – Changing Pilots in Mid-Climb , BusinessWeek, Feb. 4, 2003
[Note: Expedia has since been acquired by IAC, although it maintains its own brand.  Read this article with an eye on understanding how the firm grew to such a domiant position in an industry that was suffering]
Which firms are Expedia's chief competitors?  As of this article, where does Expedia rank compared to these rivals?  What factors were associated with helping Expedia attain its current position?  Do you feel that Expedia's advantages are sustainable?  Why or why not?
- and -
The Unraveling of an Empire, BusinessWeek, August 1, 2005
What firms does IAC own? After the spin-off, which firms does Expedia own?  Expedia grew dramatically following the attacks of 2001.  During this period, how did Expedia deal with suppliers (hotels) and how did this influence profits?  Why does the article describe Hotels.com and Hotwire as 'broken brands'?  Why did Expedia & Hotels.com lose leverage with hotel chains recently - how has the market changed?  How has the relationship with suppliers changed?

Also related to the travel industry:
Struggling Upstream, Forbes, Nov. 14, 2005.
How does Kayak.com make money?  How does the model differ from Expedia or Orbitz?  How does Kayak's conversion rate compare?  How have suppliers reacted to Kayak?  Why?  What has been the fate of SideStep and Farechase (comparable firms)? 

New Entrants & New Channels

Jewelry Heist, Business Week, May 10, 2004
- and -
Romance Killer, Forbes, Nov. 29, 2004.
Is disintermediation happening in the jewelry industry?  Why or why not?  How does BlueNile compare with offline peers in terms of sales and profit margins?  Why is it so superior?  Will established competitors such as Zales or Tiffany be able to copy the effort with similar success?  Why or why not?  How does BlueNile overcome customer reluctance to buy expensive products online?  How has BlueNile's inventory model changed and how has this helped its business?  What pressure do wholesalers face if they choose to deal with BlueNile?  What steps have online jewelers taken to attract customers online?  What do you believe will determine the competitive advantage in the 'new market' for diamonds?What does BlueNile do to protect its suppliers?  Why do you suppose wholesalers choose to deal with the firm?

WEEK 4 – Feb. 6 & 8

New Entrants & New Channels (cont.)
Read the following articles about NetFlix & the movie rental business
Movies to Go, The Economist, July 9, 2005 [Business Source Premier]
- and -
High Tech Achiever, Fast Company, Oct. 2005 [Business Source Premier]
How does the NetFlix business model work?  What are NetFlix sources of competitive advantage? What are the benefits of these advantages? Why does NetFlix feel its recommendations are superior to Amazon's? How has NetFlix achieved customer focus? How does NetFlix create customer empathy among its employees? What is NetFlix churn rate & what are the reasons behind this rate? How has NetFlix improved its customer service operation?  What results reflect this improvement? What is 'throttling'?  Are there risks associated with this practice? Do you believe this is a wise practice or not?  Who are currently NetFlix biggest competitors?  How do their financial results compare?  Which of these firms is positioned to 'win' over the medium term and why? What do you believe are the most significant long-term threats to NetFlix?  How is NetFlix trying to address these threats?  What obstacles does it face in dealing with these threats?

Bare Bones, Plump Profits, BusinessWeek, March 14, 2005.
How successful is ING Direct (customers, deposits, rank, revenues, profits)? What is the firm's business model?  Where has the firm targeted spending in order to grow? Why do customers choose ING Direct and what sorts of customers does the firm prefer?  Visit the firm's website – what products does the firm offer?  What products does it avoid?  What risks does the firm face?  Does the firm have a sustainable competitive advantage?  If so, what is it, if not, why does it not have one?

WEEK 5 – Feb. 13 & 15 – Assignment Due by Feb. 15 – Group Resources Page

New Entrants & New Channels (cont.)

Bare Bones, Plump Profits, BusinessWeek, March 14, 2005.
How successful is ING Direct (customers, deposits, rank, revenues, profits)? What is the firm's business model?  Where has the firm targeted spending in order to grow? Why do customers choose ING Direct and what sorts of customers does the firm prefer?  Visit the firm's website – what products does the firm offer?  What products does it avoid?  What risks does the firm face?  Does the firm have a sustainable competitive advantage?  If so, what is it, if not, why does it not have one?

Dealing with Multiple Channels

What's Working Online, McKinsey Quarterly, No. 3, 2005
NOTE: Free registration required.
What are 'efficiency machines'?  Give examples and describe their margins, investments, and competitive advantage.  How many 'efficiency machines' are in the top 100 vendors?  How much online retail revenue do they account for?  Who are niche leaders and why do consumers shop at these firms?  How do niche leaders leverage the web to help other channels?   Who are the 'traffic drivers'?  How do they approach the mix of products offered online?  Who are the 'triple plays'?  How does their product mix differ from the 'traffic drivers'?

Steering Customers to the Right Channels, McKinsey Quarterly, Winter 2004
NOTE: Copy distributed in advance, but identical to the one at the link above from CFO Magazine.
What are the benefits to multi-channeling?  What are the drawbacks?  What is re-routing and why is it necessary?  According to the article, are carefully tailored 'routes to market' a source of competitive advantage?  Why or why not?  How does Schwab attempt to manage channel costs?  What are the benefits of these efforts?  What is the source of channel conflict highlighted in the example of the 'leading home equipment manufacturer'?  How was this issue solved to the satisfaction of all parties? How can firms best manage the process of transitioning customers to new channels?

WEEK 6 – Feb. 20 & 22 –Assignment Due Thurs. Feb. 23 - Submit Five Possible Exam Questions With Answers to Question Submission Website (link to be posted after class, do not e-mail questions)

Channel Conflict & Conflicted Businesses: Sony's Fall, Apple's Rise, and the future of Digital Media

[Article printed earlier] E-Commerce and the Undulating Distribution Channel, Communications of the ACM, July 2002.
Read from where you left off earlier to the end of the section 'Innovation and Channel Pressure' on p. 92.
What is channel pressure and why does it occur?  How can innovation be stifled by internal firm pressure?

The Civil War Inside Sony, Wired, February 2003.
An older article, but clearly illustrates the forces that have shaped Sony's digital music efforts.
How do Sony digital media players differ from the competitions?  Why?  Would you suggest that Sony break itself up into two separate businesses?  Why or why not?  What were the problems with pressplay and MusicNet?  Does Sony have advantages in promoting a DRM system?  What challenges will Sony face in promoting its DRM system?

The Rootkit of All Evil? USA Today, Nov. 17, 2005
What's a rootkit?  What is XCP? Is Sony justified in their behavior?  What risks has the firm exposed itself (and its customers) to by not understanding the technology deployed in its products?  What do you think of Thomas Hesse's response on NPR?  How did Sony react when news of the rootkit leaked to the public – what was offered & how would you rate the quality of the remedy? 

Online Music: Rewriting the Score, BusinessWeek, May 30, 2005
Why is Yahoo's method of entry into this market potentially significant?  Who else threatens to enter this space?  Is this a threat to Apple?  Why or why not?  Where does Apple derive profits from?  How have Apple sales compared with rivals?  Does Yahoo's pricing make sense to you?  Why or why not?  What advantages does Yahoo have over competition like Napster? 

Amazon Plans Music Service to Rival iTunes, Wall Street Journal, Feb. 16, 2006.
Note: the article is speculative since a service has not be delivered, but it provides a great context for discussing digital media.  What are the risks if Amazon gets into the digital music market?  Why do you suppose the firm is considering entering the market?  How will the offering differ from Apple's? Which offerings are preferred by the music industry?  Why? 

WEEK 7 – Feb. 27 (Exam I Review) – EXAM I on March 1
WEEK 8 – March 6 & March 8 – SPRING BREAK – NO CLASS
WEEK 9 – March 13 & 15

Exam Review & Intro to Network Effects

Channel Extending Intermediaries

E-Commerce and the Undulating Distribution Channel, Communications of the ACM, July 2002.
[You accessed this article earlier (see notes above).  This week we will finish the article.]
What are channel extending intermediaries (CEI)?  Why do suppliers choose to join a CEI - what do they hope to gain and what do they give up?  Why has Schwab been able to create a successful CEI?  Why has Auto-By-Tel not been as successful?  What threats do CEI operators face?  How do liquidation auctions differ from market efficiency auctions?

WEEK 10 – March 20 & 22

 Auctions, and Marketplaces - Domestic & Global

eBay's Secret, Fortune (Cover Story), Oct. 18, 2004. [Business Source Premier]
How successful is eBay (be prepared to give examples)?  What is eBay's source of competitive advantage?  (for eBay users) do you believe there's more to it than the point mentioned in the article - if so, what other key resource for competitive advantage does the firm possess?   What market did eBay initially focus on?  Why? (be prepared to contrast this with Priceline).  Who sells on eBay now?  Why did eBay buy PayPal?  Where is eBay's most successful market?  Which firm dominates the Japanese market?  Why? What challenges does the firm face?  What do you feel are its prospects for overcoming these challenges?

The World According to eBay, Business 2.0, January 2005 [Business Source Premier]
Why are global operations so important for eBay (be prepared to discuss how global growth & success compare with the domestic business)?  How has eBay grown internationally?  Why?  How has eBay done in Japan?  What factors were behind this result?  What problems did eBay face on S. Korea and how did it overcome these problems?  What challenges does eBay face internationally?

Auctions Revisted: Attempting to Rewrite the Rules in Stock Market IPOs

E-Commerce and the Undulating Distribution Channel, Communications of the ACM, July 2002.
[You accessed this article earlier (see notes above).  This week we will finish the article.]
How does WR Hambrecht hope to change the IPO process?  Why was this not successful?

WEEK 11 – March 27 & 29

Strategy, Industry Competitiveness, Resource Creation, and Timing (continuing discussion from the previous week)

Strategy and the Internet , Harvard Business Review, March 2001 .[Business Source Premier]
Porter's a smart guy, but you now know enough to challenge some of the broader statements he makes in this article.  Come armed to point out what you agree with as well as areas where you think he overstates his case.
What is operational effectiveness?  What is strategic positioning?  What are the 'five forces'?  Why does Porter argue that so many firms haven't been able to achieve competitive advantage using the Internet?  Do you think it is possible to use the Internet (and Information Technology in general) to achieve competitive advantage?  If so, how?  If not, why not? What is the value chain? What does Porter suggest is necessary for 'a competitor to imitate a strategy'?  Why is this replication often difficult to do?  Can you think of examples where firms have tried to copy the strategy of leading e-commerce firms, but failed?  Why did they fail? How are online purchases being 'subsidized'?  Are such subsidies always a bad thing - can you think of cases where subsidies have actually benefited web firms?  What does Porter mean when he refers to Internet businesses having systematically understated their need for capital?  What are the two 'fundamental factors that determine profitability'?  Porter states brands have been hard to build online - have established brands fared better?  Can you think of examples where firms have successfully moved their brands online?  Can you think of examples where well-known brands have struggled?  What's at the root of this disparity?  When might a firm consider outsourcing and other partnerships?  When does such cooperation erode firm and industry value?

Amazon - Internet Retailing Strategies & Technologies

Amazon's Multiple Personalities, Knowledge@Wharton, December 2004 (free registration required).
Why are some analysts less-positive about Amazon's future?  Do you agree or disagree with doubters?  Why were the firm's earnings lower?  Why is Amazon's product mix and mix of business models seen by some as problematic?  One of the commentators in the article suggests that Amazon leave the consumer electronics business.  How do you suppose this business differs from books?  Do you think that Amazon should use dynamic pricing?  Why or why not?  Do you think other retailers have really 'closed the gap with Amazon' as one person in the article suggests?

Amazon's Invisible Innovations, Fortune, Nov 11, 2004.
How satisfied are customers with Amazon compared with other firms?  What does 'drop shipping' mean?  How does Amazon hide this process from consumers and what benefits does it provide Amazon?  How has Amazon changed how books are warehoused?  How might this model further evolve in the future?  Why doesn't Amazon do much TV advertising?

Amazon's Costly Bells and Whistles, BusinessWeek, Feb. 3, 2006.
Describe Amazon's recent financial performance.  How did Amazon do regarding sales growth expectations?  Regarding profit expectations?  How did Wall Street react?  What does this suggest about the numbers the Street pays closest attention to?  In what areas is the firm spending?  Why?  What factors are impacting Amazon's growth?

The Great Giveaway, Business 2.0, April 2005.
Why is Amazon providing access to its data assets?  What are Amazon Web Services?  Who uses them and how?  How does Amazon view this initiative?  How are potential rivals leveraging these initiatives?  What is Pluck and how will it make money?

Cashing in on the new world of me, Fortune, Dec. 1, 2004
Note: Also visit the firm's new sister-site, the jeans recommendation engine zafu.com
Why is mass customization a good idea for clothing retailers?  What benefits do they gain?  How does the Lands' End method deliver from Levis' failed attempt at mass customization?  How successful has mass customization been for Lands' End?  Which other firms have tried mass customization and failed?  Why do you suppose this was the case?  What value does Brooks Brothers see in mass customization?  What danger did Nike & Stamps.com face with mass customization?

WEEK 12 – APRIL 3 & 5

How Click Fraud Could Swallow the Internet, Wired, January 2006.
Why was search advertising attractive to JetNetwork?  How did the firm pay for ads?  What determines when ads appear?  What determines ad rankings?  When does the firm pay?  What types of click fraud exist?  Which online advertising efforts are susceptible to click fraud?  How important is PPC advertising to Yahoo?  To Google?  How do firms detect click fraud?

Google's Leap May Slow Rival's Growth, BusinessWeek, July 18, 2005.
How does Google's search share compare to rivals?  Do you think Google has competitive advantages over rivals?  If so, what are they and if not, why not?  What innovations are rivals coming up with?  How else are rivals competing?

Google’s Grand Ambitions, Business Week, Sept. 5, 2005.
Why is Google’s secondary stock offering significant?  What businesses does the article speculate Google could compete in and why?  Do you think this speculation is realistic?  What is your assessment of the firm’s prospects if it were to enter these spaces?  Why might Google be interested in entering these spaces?

Yahoo's Brilliant Solution, Fortune Cover Story, Aug. 8, 2005.
How are big ad buyers spending habits changing?  Who runs Yahoo? What background do many of the recent management hires at Yahoo possess?  How does Yahoo make money?  How do its margins compare with Microsoft & Google?  How many US households have broadband connections & why is this important for advertisers? How big is Google in paid search?  Who is suspected to lead in 'brand' advertising online?  Why?  Why is Yahoo described as a 'first call' for advertisers?  How is Chrysler leveraging online advertising?  Why are they changing their spending?   How is Pepsi' relationship with Yahoo changed?  How has media company reaction been to Yahoo's growth & success?  Why?  What does the article describe as 'perhaps [Yahoo's] biggest risk'? 

Online Advertising: Targeting the Consumer & Building Brand

Ads that Known What You Want, Wired, April 28, 2005
What technology is used to track users?  What can firms ‘find out’ or infer from this kind of tracking?  What guidelines does the ad industry report to comply with?  What are the problems with this sort of self-regulation?

Despite Others' Claims, Tracking Cookies Fit My Spyware Definition, Wall Street Journal, July 15, 2005.
What is a cookie?  What is a tracking cookie? What are the potential benefits of this technology? Why are some concerned?  How do you feel about this issue?

WEEK 13 – APRIL 10 & 12

Web 2.0

Individual Assignment
Read: Your Online Paperboy, BusinessWeek, Dec. 20, 2004.
** NOTE ** You may want to do this earlier in the semester so that you have more experiences that you can share.  Sign up for Bloglines or another RSS service.  There is nothing to be graded, but be prepared to talk about the experience.  Also be sure you are aware of key definitions in the article (RSS, feed, newsreader)  What feeds did you subscribe to?  What is your opinion of RSS?  Of blogging?

How Digg is Democratizing News, Business 2.0, March 27, 2006
What is Digg (give it a try)?  What are the 'objections' to (or criticisms of) the Digg approach?  What was Digg's 'big break' that had it bubble to the top of Yahoo and Google listings?  Do Digg features sound like other categories of software we've discussed in class?  Which ones?  What firms have been using 'Digg-like' features in their products/services?  What firms may be threatened by or confronted by Digg?

Class Speaker April 12th: PJ McNealy, Analyst for American Technology Research on "The State of the Video Game Industry".  Friends welcome!

WEEK 14 – APRIL 17 (no classes on Easter Monday/Patriots Day) & 19

Why There's No Escaping the Blog, Fortune, Jan. 10, 2005.
How is blogging changing the balance of power between firms and consumers?  Which firms mentioned in the articles were caught off-guard by blogger feedback? (be prepared to discuss these examples)  How should firms deal with the rise of the blogosphere?  Do you read blogs?  Which ones?  How do you identify a 'trusted source' online?  Are bloggers themselves at risk?  How so?

The New Wisdom of the Web, Newsweek Cover Story, April 3, 2006
Note: Click the 'Print' button at the bottom of the screen to consolidate all 5 pages of this story.  What do MySpace, Flickr, Digg (see below), and Facebook, YouTube, CraigsList, Wikipedia, and Del.icio.us have in common?  What does each do?  (visit these sites if you are unfamiliar with them).  To the extent the article tells you – how large are they?  Who owns MySpace?  Del.icio.us?  Flickr?  How much were they acquired for?  Do the services have sources of competitive advantage?  If so, what are these sources – if not, why do they lack sources of competitive advantage.  How does your article describe Ajax?  RSS?  "Opening your APIs"? 

Welcome to Wikipedia's Boston College, Boston College Magazine, Winter 2006.
Have any of you used Wikipedia for coursework before?  Should you trust the results?  What errors were listed regarding Boston College?  Where did some of these originate from?

How the Internet Works

How Web Servers and the Internet Work, How Stuff Works
Key technical concepts in this article will be covered in class.  This article is meant as an overview that you can refer to as a supplement to the technical discussion we'll have in class.  No formal reading questions are assigned.
Note: the article discusses typing 'winipcfg.exe' to find out your PC's current IP address which doesn't work on BC machines.  Windows users wishing to experiment can type 'ipconfig' from the command prompt to get your IP address.

Alternative Internets? Wall Street Journal Classroom Edition, April, 2006
Why are these alternative internets springing up (be prepared to give examples of the 'alternatives')?  Why might these be successful?  What's the 'root'?  Who administers it? 

WEEK 15 – APRIL 24 & 26 – Assignment Due Thurs. April 27 - By 5:45 PM, each project group should post their three page executive summary as a link from the group's index page.  All studnets are required to read all executive summaries before the final presentations made during exam time.
Assignment Due Thurs. April 27 - Submit Five Possible Exam Questions With Answers to Question Submission Website (link to be posted after class, do not e-mail questions)
WEEK 16 – May 1 & 3 – FINAL PRESENTATIONS - Teams 1-4 will present Monday in class, Teams 5-8 will present Wednesday.
FINAL EXAM – Monday, May 8th, 4:30 PM, Fulton 117 (check exam schedule to confirm before making travel plans)


UPCOMING READINGS AND TOPICS

Telecommunications Markets

Net Based Technology Will Allow Limitless TV, Boston Globe, July 14, 2005.
What is IPTV?  Where is it currently being used?  Which US firms are heavily involved in leading the IPTV rollout?  Why haven't phone companies been able to compete with Cable?  How does IPTV help change this?  What advantage does IPTV offer over traditional methods of broadcasting used by cable TV or satellite firms?  What challenges does IPTV face?

ESPN Thinks Outside the Box, Wired, September 2005.
How important is ESPN to Disney and how significant are the divisions contributions?  How does ESPN think of itself & the business it is in?  How does ESPN leverage e-commerce in its operations with respect to Monday Night Football and other offerings?  What advantages do you think these plans give the firm?  What are the risks in this approach?  How does the article claim IPTV will impact and change the role of television & the network?  What advantages does ESPN’s content possess when compared to those of a traditional TV or cable network?  What is ESPN Motion, what were the original problems with the platform, and what solution has been proposed?

The Future is on the Line, Fortune (cover story), July 26, 2004 [Business Source Premier]
What (from a technical perspective) is  the difference between VoIP and traditional phone calls handled via POTS (plain old telephone service)?  Which consumers is VoIP particularly likely to appeal to?  Why?  What firms does VoIP threaten?  Which firms can it help?  How does it change the economics of the telecom industry?  What can you do via VoIP that you can't do via POTS?  What are the limitations of VoIP?  Contrast cable firms, Vonage, and Skype.  Who do you think will gain the largest market share?  Why?  What are the reasons behind the decrease in land lines?  As the regional Bells roll out VoIP, why are they at a disadvantage when compared to cable and the upstarts?

The Next Monopoly, Business 2.0, March 2005.[Business Source Premier]
How does Qualcomm make money? What are 3G CDMA and W-CDMA?  Where are these technologies used?  What risks does Qualcomm face?  What's Brew?  What's a 'walled garden'?  Which firms are interested in these technologies and why?

Future Phones: Wireless and Wi-Fi Friendly, Fortune, July 8, 2005 [to be handed out in class]
What is SK-Earthlink?  How will it differ from traditional carriers?  What's MVNO?  What's EvDO?  Why have traditional wireless providers in the US been relocating to offer "dual-mode" Wi-FI cell phones?  What kind of services are available in Korea?  What's the downside of dual-mode phones?