The Second Industrial Revolution: Business Strategy and Internet Technology

In The Second Industrial Revolution, John Donovan argues that with the advent of the Internet--primarily the World Wide Web--as a growing force in communication, companies that jump on the opportunities the Web affords are the ones that will survive, while others will flounder. It is not merely a matter of being on the Web, says Donovan. You need to continually reinvent your company in order to keep up with--if not stay ahead of--changes in society and the marketplace. The Web is not a cure-all for a sick company but merely a tool that makes it possible for companies to succeed.

Donovan believes that companies must do seven things in order to survive: add new value, edge into new businesses, enter niche markets, launch new products and services that will eclipse the old, enter new partnerships, work globally while thinking locally, and reengineer business processes. He discusses why each of these steps is vital for business survival in a wired world and demonstrates how to use the Web in order to thrive on constant change. He covers these topics in four sections: formulating business strategies for today and the future, creating the necessary technical infrastructure, understanding the technologies and players associated with the Internet, and managing the required change in your organization, the people within it, and yourself. Donovan illustrates his points with examples from a variety of companies. His depictions of both good and bad decisions show how fortune or failure can be reversed with amazing speed depending on a company's willingness to reinvent itself to meet changing conditions. --Elizabeth Lewis