From networks to databases, email to voicemail, the amount of capital being invested in information technology each year is staggering. By 1996, U.S. firms were spending more than $500 billion annually on software, networks and staff. The recently merged Bank of America and NationsBank have an initial IT budget of 4 billion dollars. As firms like this push rapidly into the business world of the 21st century, the question has remained: how do firms measure returns from these substantial investments in information technology?Henry C. Lucas effectively answers this question by providing a creative and reliable framework for measuring the competitive advantages and profits gained through investments in state-of-the-art information systems. There is value in information technology, and it is possible to show returns, Lucas argues--unfortunately this value just doesn't always show up clearly on the bottom line of a ledger. In five expertly presented sections, he spells out exactly what businesses can expect from their information technology investments--some investments create a measurable value, some do not, but all are important nonetheless. Through a precise mix of frameworks and models, such as an Investment Opportunities Matrix, and punctuated with real examples from successful firms, this is the first book to allow executives to see exactly how their information technology investment can be expected to return value, thereby maximizing their advantages in an age of global competitiveness.Indeed, firms who manage their information systems most efficiently are best suited to succeed in a rapidly evolving marketplace. With so much at stake, Information Technology is certain to be the essential guide for firms determined to compete and flourish in the highly competitive economy of the next century.

In the roaring 1990s, many companies seemed to claim great victories-acquiring another company, obtaining state-of-the art technology, or hiring a potential CEO savior-only to find that they had made a great mistake. The term "Winner's Curse" was coined by economists to explain an effect commonly observed in auctions. In such situations, since the winning bidder is usually the most optimistic about the value of the item being auctioned, there is a verygood chance that the bid will be more (sometimes much more) than the item is worth. So a company that overvalues a good or service, or bids higher than its value has the potential of experiencing this Winner'sCurse.In this book, G. Anandalingam and Henry C. Lucas, Jr. expand the model of the Winner's Curse to explain how companies like Tyco, MCI-WorldCom and Bank One overpaid for acquisitions, and how shareholders suffered as a result. They elucidate the disasters that happened during the rush to acquire new technologies and illuminate the reasons that companies that were seemingly pioneers in the dot-com era fell by the wayside. Beginning by exploring the psychological, personal andmarket factors that can encourage a decision maker to overvalue an asset and experience the Winner's Curse, the book goes on to examine several case studies, including the disastrous wireless spectrumauctions that have devastated the telecommunications industry, and the dot-com bust. It concludes by discussing ways to avoid the Winner's Curse, calling for major changes in the behavior of CEOs and members of boars of directors, as well as the use of powerful techniques for analyzing decisions, including a systems approach to decision making, scenario analysis and game theory.

Universities for years have been the bright spot in our educational system. Today, these institutions are under siege from multiple constituencies including students, parents, legislators, government officials and their own faculties. Education has historically been a way for students to improve their lives and fortunes. However, the rising costs of college are a barrier to access for many students, reducing their chances for upward mobility.Is technology the solution, or is it just another costly problem for universities? The purpose of this book is to explore how new technology has the potential to transform higher education. However, this same technology also has the potential to disrupt universities. Much depends on how administrators, faculty and students apply technologically enhanced learning.Technology and the Disruption of Higher Education presents details on MOOCs, blended, flipped and online classes and their role in transforming higher education based on the author's experiences teaching all of these types of courses. These technology-enabled approaches to teaching and learning offer tremendous opportunities to schools, but they also threaten the traditional university. The book identifies some of these threats and opportunities and offers suggested strategies to take advantage of the technology.Is this technology enough to save the university system? While new ways of teaching and learning are exciting, they are only part of the puzzle. Radical change beyond what happens in the classroom is needed if our higher education system is to continue to flourish and some of these ideas are discussed in the last chapter of the book. The book is a call to action for educators to realize that the technology is both transformational and disruptive, and that some universities are going to fail in the next 15 years.

From networks to databases, email to voicemail, the amount of capital being invested in information technology each year is staggering. By 1996, U.S. firms were spending more than $500 billion annually on software, networks and staff. The recently merged Bank of America and NationsBank have an initial IT budget of 4 billion dollars. As firms like this push rapidly into the business world of the 21st century, the question has remained: how do firms measure returns from these substantial investments in information technology?Henry C. Lucas effectively answers this question by providing a creative and reliable framework for measuring the competitive advantages and profits gained through investments in state-of-the-art information systems. There is value in information technology, and it is possible to show returns, Lucas argues--unfortunately this value just doesn't always show up clearly on the bottom line of a ledger. In five expertly presented sections, he spells out exactly what businesses can expect from their information technology investments--some investments create a measurable value, some do not, but all are important nonetheless. Through a precise mix of frameworks and models, such as an Investment Opportunities Matrix, and punctuated with real examples from successful firms, this is the first book to allow executives to see exactly how their information technology investment can be expected to return value, thereby maximizing their advantages in an age of global competitiveness.Indeed, firms who manage their information systems most efficiently are best suited to succeed in a rapidly evolving marketplace. With so much at stake, Information Technology is certain to be the essential guide for firms determined to compete and flourish in the highly competitive economy of the next century.

In the roaring 1990s, many companies seemed to claim great victories-acquiring another company, obtaining state-of-the art technology, or hiring a potential CEO savior-only to find that they had made a great mistake. The term "Winner's Curse" was coined by economists to explain an effect commonly observed in auctions. In such situations, since the winning bidder is usually the most optimistic about the value of the item being auctioned, there is a verygood chance that the bid will be more (sometimes much more) than the item is worth. So a company that overvalues a good or service, or bids higher than its value has the potential of experiencing this Winner'sCurse.In this book, G. Anandalingam and Henry C. Lucas, Jr. expand the model of the Winner's Curse to explain how companies like Tyco, MCI-WorldCom and Bank One overpaid for acquisitions, and how shareholders suffered as a result. They elucidate the disasters that happened during the rush to acquire new technologies and illuminate the reasons that companies that were seemingly pioneers in the dot-com era fell by the wayside. Beginning by exploring the psychological, personal andmarket factors that can encourage a decision maker to overvalue an asset and experience the Winner's Curse, the book goes on to examine several case studies, including the disastrous wireless spectrumauctions that have devastated the telecommunications industry, and the dot-com bust. It concludes by discussing ways to avoid the Winner's Curse, calling for major changes in the behavior of CEOs and members of boars of directors, as well as the use of powerful techniques for analyzing decisions, including a systems approach to decision making, scenario analysis and game theory.

Universities for years have been the bright spot in our educational system. Today, these institutions are under siege from multiple constituencies including students, parents, legislators, government officials and their own faculties. Education has historically been a way for students to improve their lives and fortunes. However, the rising costs of college are a barrier to access for many students, reducing their chances for upward mobility.Is technology the solution, or is it just another costly problem for universities? The purpose of this book is to explore how new technology has the potential to transform higher education. However, this same technology also has the potential to disrupt universities. Much depends on how administrators, faculty and students apply technologically enhanced learning.Technology and the Disruption of Higher Education presents details on MOOCs, blended, flipped and online classes and their role in transforming higher education based on the author's experiences teaching all of these types of courses. These technology-enabled approaches to teaching and learning offer tremendous opportunities to schools, but they also threaten the traditional university. The book identifies some of these threats and opportunities and offers suggested strategies to take advantage of the technology.Is this technology enough to save the university system? While new ways of teaching and learning are exciting, they are only part of the puzzle. Radical change beyond what happens in the classroom is needed if our higher education system is to continue to flourish and some of these ideas are discussed in the last chapter of the book. The book is a call to action for educators to realize that the technology is both transformational and disruptive, and that some universities are going to fail in the next 15 years.