e-Business 2.0: Roadmap for Success (2nd Edition) ... (ISBN 0201721651)

Amazon.com Review:
In e-Business 2.0, Ravi Kalakota and Marcia Robinson present a survey of how the processes of business have changed as a result of computer-assisted communications, data storage, and data analysis. They explain recent technological advances--and those that may take place in the near and middle future--and explain how companies that sell products and services might put them to profitable use. With an emphasis on companies that sell things to large numbers of consumers, the authors argue convincingly that information technology isn't an end in itself, but a tool that can facilitate valuable changes in business processes. This is a book for managers and organizational planners, but it commits none of the sins typical of such books. It neither oversimplifies technical matters nor serves as a mere platform for catchy phrases and obtuse illustrations. e-Business 2.0 is properly focused on the big technologies on which successful companies will capitalize. Kalakota and Robinson argue that it's a good idea to supplement live salespeople with self-service sales facilities, such as those on a Web site. They call this a part of selling-chain management. The authors also explain how inefficiencies in the selling chain can make it prohibitively expensive to provide built-to-order products, which consumers increasingly want. They then present solutions: Internet and customer relationship management (IRM and CRM) software, sales automation systems, and proposal-automation tools. In each case, they cite specific examples (usually companies and products), enabling readers to dig deeper into specifics if they want. Similar attention goes to enterprise resource planning (ERP), trend-spotting tools, and half a dozen other technologies. Read this guide as you think about how to make strategic changes in your company's operating practices. --David Wall Topics covered: Recent developments in technology that change the way companies do business, particularly in terms of determining and fulfilling customers' needs and interacting smoothly with vendors. More broadly, this book deals with sharing information efficiently among all relevant parties inside and outside an organization. Technologies covered: Internet sales infrastructures, customer relationship management (CRM) suites, enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, knowledge management tools, and data warehousing and analysis products.

Techie vs. Business point of Review:
I really liked this book. I am doing an MBA at the moment in the Michael Smurfit Business School and was trying to get an example for an eBusiness Model. The choice in the end came between Weil's Book 'Place and Space' and Kalakota's, but, there was no choice. Even though I have the greatest respect for Weil. Kalakota was pragmatic. At first as I staggered through the earlier chapters I thought, 'Hello' ... have you heard of dot.con ( we are talking about techie stuff...)and then it clicked , literally , this guy , or should I say lady and gent, have it all sussed. All eBusiness models should be based on sound business principles. 'e' has changed the principles but it is still the same message. Incorporate and get on with it. That's the message and do it as soon as possible. That's the reality! Business has not changed, just the tools, and the speed ...But beware once you do it, you have to keep on doing it, to come out on tops, it'a a reiterative cycle, OK babe...

A good text, a powerful understanding.:
I read this for as a text for a course in ECommerce and I enjoyed the candid dialogue that the author used in this book. The examples and ideas are not outdated. Not a how to book, but more of a these are the main business concepts and opportunities you can benefit from, book. Really enjoyed it.

Very insightful:
This book still holds up rather well given all the changes that took place in the e-business space in the last couple of years. The authors really seem to understand this space. I heard Ravi Kalakota speak at a seminar in Cincinati. He was fantastic. He is very articulate about the trends that are shaping the e-business and e-commerce landscape. Highly recommend this book to those who want to understand the basics of e-business.

Lots of big words and no explanation of what they mean:
After seeing all the glowing reviews of this book, I'm beginning to wonder if it's just me. I've only gotten through the first 3 chapters and already I've run into a multitude of terms that are not explained at all. My class uses this book for its text and I have to answer discussion questions about brand-intensive vs. capital intensive, disaggregation and reaggregation (Dictionary.com didn't even have 'reaggregation' in its database), etc. It sure would be nice to include a glossary of terms used. I'm really dreading the rest of this book.

A bit long winded & pretentious but still valuable:
I came at this book from the point of view of a web designer. It is, unfortunately for me, written more for the business person (ie: divisional manager / executive within a mid to large sized company). It argues quite convincingly that the various applications & systems within a business need to be integrated for it have be a successful ecommerce presence. However it gives no technical insight into how this is to be achieved. The authors simply drop names of companies that provide software that can do whatever function they are talking about in that chapter. (Or at least, companies who were doing this several years ago, when the book was published. The book is really is a bit old now to be completely relevant on the topic of the present business environment). I get the feeling that an executive or divisional manager reading this book would not understand half of what the authors are talking about. At least that has been my experience with business people at this level. They really don't have much of a grasp of the working of websites, or of software applications generally for that matter. They simply leave it all for their IT department to take care of. From my experience, most execs reading this book would just be looking to be able to pick up enough of the jargon to be able to sound like they know what they are talking about. Customer relationshiop management, supply chain management, front office, back office, etc, etc... I think the book achieves this result. Perhaps that is why it had such hype around it. However the authors could have written a much slimmer book & achieved the same aim. They ramble on at length about the significance of each issue before actually broaching it. I don't know how many times a sentence like "the company that fails to do this will soon be left behind!" is used in each chapter. After a while, it starts to get a little ridiculous. There is alot of rhetoric, which you eventually just start to switch off to, & look for the next actual point to arrive. (Fortunately, the points themselves are quite engaging). There is also a section at the end of each chapter called "memo to the CEO". This revises what was dealt with in the chapter. I just found this "memo to the ceo" scenario kind of ridiculous too. It seems to suggest that only CEOs are going to be reading the book. Memo to AUTHORs, isn't that limiting your readership somewhat to assume this? Or to shape the material in this way? What about addressing us mere mortals too. We paid our money at the bookstore counter too! Despite the heavy-handed prose (a bit of sensible editing would have done wonders for the flavour of the book) it is an interesting theoretical study of what ecommerce SHOULD be about. I would recommend it on this basis. The book is basically about apllications integration, & how this can lead to cost savings (for the company) plus better experiences for customers. They can do more, faster, at lower cost, & with greater quality assurance. It is interesting, reading it now, to see some things the authors mention have become the norm in ecommerce today. So they were clearly right on the general significance of this issue of integration. You just have to switch off to the grandiose nature of their style occasionally. It really seems akin to an Anthony Robbins book at times ("You can do it! You can be the best. If you choose to succeed. But you must act. Many will fail. Will you be one of them?" etc, etc) I am exaggerating there, but if you read the book you will see what I mean.