Place to Space: Migrating to eBusiness Models
Abstract
Book Review Reviewed by: Edward M. Roche Peter Weill and Michael R Vitale Boston: Harvard Business School Press, Boston, 2001 Place to Space is an attempt to provide an explanatory theory for how eBusiness is changing the way companies operate and earn income. In the theory, the authors define several "Atomic eBusiness Models", and then discuss how these can be combined to create [more complex] "eBusiness Models" and the accompanying strategies for a company. This unique approach has several advantages: (1) it provides a starting point for discussion of eBusiness models, (2) combining together the different "atoms" should lead to much flexibility, (3) even if parts of the theory do not work, it provides a powerful framework for stimulating discussion on strategy and tactics. In my view, this might be the author's largest contribution. Even if the book reads like an extended PowerPoint presentation, a particularly strong point of interest its use of visual aids and diagramming used to illustrate the atomic eBusiness models. The diagrams integrate several elements [electrons, protons, neutrons ...I that constitute an "atom": (1) a service provider, (2) a customer, (3) a "primary" relationship, (4) an "electronic" relationship, (5) suppliers, (6) alliance partners, (7) flows