Assignment:
This case describes some of the largest platform companies in the real-world today and describes their different market positions. As we think about where they started-Amazon with retailing, Google with search, Apple with computers, and Facebook with social networking-they have moved into new markets and often into each other's markets. In some cases, the companies have established partnerships to collaborate and fill in the missing parts to their platform portfolios. We use this case to help understand the more complicated nature of digital markets and platforms among some of the largest companies in the world, which just happen to be IT companies!
Instructions
Read the Case Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google (CP), and answer questions- 2 pages
Case write up questions:
1. If you had to characterize each company's relationship with each other company, what is the most competitive of these relationships? Which one is the most cooperative? Why?
2. Given their positions in the market, which company's IT strategy is the best positioned to become a winner-take-all? Why?
3. If you had to invest a $1,000 in one of these four companies, which one would it be? Why.
Readings:
The Powers That Be (Internet Edition): Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, and Microsoft
By JEFFREY F. RAYPORT and JULIA KELLEY, NATHANIEL SCHWALB