B2B: How to Build a Profitable E Commerce Strategy

In B2B, it's not a matter of winning or losing -- it's getting into the game that matters. Companies on the Internet fast track are buzzing about the unquestionable potential of B2B e-commerce. And why not? Reliable estimates suggest that trillions of dollars will be transacted over the Web in the next few years -- and the bulk of that will occur in the business-to-business space. For all of the discussion, however, this vast frontier of Internet commerce is still unexplored by most companies with the potential to profit. They simply don't know how to move beyond the hype to get started. B2B provides the first definitive blueprint for creating a profitable business-to-business Web strategy. It describes phenomenal B2B success strategies such as those used by VerticalNet, Travelocity, and Cisco, and details smaller operations moving into the B2B market to illustrate how any company can navigate this space. Michael Cunningham, a leading expert in B2B strategy and technology, breaks this previously cryptic topic down into actionable steps. B2B, Cunningham explains, is as old as business itself -- what is new is the speed at which new and more efficient business connections and services can be made. He describes specific ways B2B cuts transaction expenses, aggregates buying power, and exploits the efficiencies of single and specialized markets. Not to be missed, B2B is the first book to provide a how-to game plan for succeeding at the greatest opportunity yet in online business.

Michael J. Cunningham is founder and CEO of the Massachusetts-based Harvard Computing Group, an international business-and-technology consulting firm geared to creating innovative strategies and to developing powerful Web-enabled solutions. He speaks and consults to clients and industry groups internationally and regularly writes articles on Web business and e-commerce for publications such as E-Business Advisor. He lives in Harvard, Massachusetts.