MT 330
Marketing in the Technology Enterprise

Session 19:
Product Strategy IV: Multi-Product and Product/Service Strategies

In this final session on high-tech product strategy, we'll turn our attention to two other strategies for maximizing return on our technology investment: spreading the investment across multiple product markets, and optimizing the mix between product and service strategies to create differentiation when all the pure product differentiators have been competed away.

Readings: ® = required; scan = read introduction and conclusions; scan inside pages;
                  (o) = optional; = Adobe Acrobat File

Required for class discussion (®):

Bulkeley, William M., "Package Deals: These Days Big Blue Is About Big Services Not Just Big Boxes --- Gerstner's Legacy at IBM Is Likely to Be the Switch From Hardware to Help --- Turning Foes Into Friends," Wall Street Journal; New York, N.Y.; Jun 11, 2001.

Lecture Notes:

Product Strategy 4: Multi-Product and Product/Service Strategies (product4.ppt)

Discussion Question:

What accounts for IBM's overwhelming lead over its "pure" service rivals (EDS, CSC, Accenture) in the IT outsourcing industry? When does a mixed product-service portfolio make sense vs. a pure-play strategy in products or services?

Market Plan:

• All: Complete through Section 9.
• This week's presenter: Post to Prometheus on Monday of this week. 
• Others: comment on this week's presentation.