High-tech associates (A) : accept the e-business challenge?

• Main Authors: Reid, Edna, Gleave, Tom
• Other Authors: Nanyang Business School
• Format: Case Study
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: DRNTU::Business
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/99890; http://hdl.handle.net/10220/13539; http://www.asiacase.com/case/ntuAbcc/hiTechAssoc-A.html
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

In late 1998, Sarah Fraser, Director of Singapore-based High-Tech Associates Pte. Ltd. (High-Tech), was reviewing various enquiries that she had recently received asking about the marketing consultancy's e-business service line. The number and diversity of such enquiries had been increasing noticeably over the past several months, as interest in the Internet's transformational potential on the business world gained momentum. This interest was manifested in a surge of upstart 'dot com' companies entering the market who were claiming to have created new, paradigm-shifting business models. In addition, traditional 'bricks and mortar' companies had also started to seriously examine how they could migrate some of their business processes to a 'clicks and mortar' environment. Although High-Tech had yet to develop any specific e-business services, the enquiries proved intriguing to Fraser. This was because the 35 year-old Briton had recently purchased a 50 percent stake in the consultancy, and was therefore keen on developing new growth avenues for the company. At the same time, however, she realized that the company had limited resources from which to drawn upon to develop such services. Moreover, a great deal of uncertainty existed about the ultimate direction and impact that the Internet would have on the business world. This left Fraser having to decide whether or not she should try to persuade her partner, Jenny Smith that High-Tech should develop an e-business services stream before it was too late. Period covered 1998 – 2000