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Describes Novell's open source software strategy and the business environment in which it has arisen. Introduces open source software and strategies based on open source and offers opportunities to discuss IT strategy, IT management, and organizational change. One key issue is how to capture value via a strategy that leverages intellectual property that is in the public domain.

Sets up a situation in which participants must create presentations that assess the IT risk of a large company.

Few senior executives pay much attention to computer security. They either hand off responsibility to their technical people or bring in consultants. But given the stakes involved, an arm's-length approach is extremely unwise. According to industry estimates, security breaches affect 90% of all businesses every year and cost some $17 billion. Fortunately, the authors say, senior executives don't need to learn about the more arcane aspects of their company's IT systems to take a hands-on approach. Instead, they should focus on the familiar task of managing risk. Their role should be to assess the business value of their information assets, determine the likelihood that those assets will be compromised, and then tailor a set of risk abatement processes to their company's particular vulnerabilities. This approach, which views computer security as an operational rather than a technical challenge, is akin to a classic quality assurance program in that it attempts to avoid problems rather than fix them and involves all employees, not just IT staffers. The goal is not to make computer systems completely secure--that's impossible--but to reduce the business risk to an acceptable level. This article looks at the types of threats a company is apt to face. It also examines the processes a general manager should spearhead to lessen the likelihood of a successful attack. The authors recommend eight processes in all.

Describes the circumstances leading to the three-and-a-half-day collapse of a major hospital group's IS capabilities. Identifies the technical reasons for the failure, management steps in dealing with the problem short term, and the long-term lessons they believe they learned from the incident.

Spreadsheet supplement for case 303097.

Jamcracker, a well-financed, young company is attempting to transform how IT services are delivered during a period of high-tech pessimism. Jamcracker is trying to popularize an "application service provider" (ASP) model of service delivery that will, if successful, take the industry to a new level of vertically disintegrated maturity. But it is a bold concept that it is selling to a cautious group of prospective buyers. The case poses questions about how to operationalize and sell the company's new service concept.

Supplements the (A) case.

Asks students to develop criteria for selecting a Web hosting company, then to select one of three profiled in case exhibits. In choosing a hosting vendor, students represent one of two companies: one a start-up, the other an industrial-age manufacturer. By assigning some students to represent the start-up and others to represent the manufacturing company, the instructor can tease out differences in criteria for these two types of companies. The two companies might well choose different hosting providers.

Introduces students to the data centers where IT infrastructure is increasingly physically housed. These centralized hosting facilities represent in the information age the equivalent of power utilities in the industrial age. Students are introduced to issues of physical and Internet security, infrastructure management, and service provider partner selection.

Supplements the (A) case.

Supplements the (A) case.

Describes a new CIO trying to manage a denial of service (DOS) attack against his e-retailing business. The attack and its aftermath provide students an opportunity to discuss the business issues that are interwoven with computer security issues.

Describes Destiny's use of "pattern language" concepts to structure its business activities. The innovative approach contrasts with a process approach and helps the company balance its needs for scalability with retained agility.

Supplements the (A) case.

Describes the details of IBM's dramatic corporate turnaround in the early 1990s led by CEO Louis V. Gerstner. Accounts of events are from interviews with IBM executives. Covers the factors that led to the company's decline and actions taken to recover.

Describes in operational detail the activities involved in creating a collaborative and artistic product. Parallels to companies in dynamic industries emerge from the management philosophies and artistic methods of the case protagonist, Artistic Director Abigail Adams.

Describes Harley-Davidson's decision process for defining and selecting an enterprise-wide procurement software package and the institutional changes introduced as part of this process. Tells the story of Harley-Davidson's approach in developing integrated business processes and information systems to meet the needs of a visionary procurement strategy. Central to this activity was the evaluation and selection of an enterprise software package and implementation partner to support the strategy. Describes managerial reasoning and tactics to introduce significant organizational change into a setting where team-based responsibility and a culture of autonomy are prominent.

Spreadsheet supplement for case 600-006.

Describes Ford's examination of its supply chain to evaluate whether the company should "virtually integrate" on the Dell Computers model.

Introduces the concepts and issues related to Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) technology. Begins with a stylized example of ERP in action. Aa brief history of the ERP industry is provided, with reference to major events and players. Additional case examples of successful and unsuccessful implementations are offered to enhance students' understanding of the impact ERP can have on the organization and to illuminate ERP issues.