MetaCapitalism: The e-Business Revolution and the Design of 21st-Century Companies and Markets

The period 2000--2002 will witness the single greatest change in global economic and business conditions ever-the realignment from traditional corporate structure to Internet-leveraged styles of brand-owning, customer-focused companies. This realignment is occurring now, even as you read these words. In MetaCapitalism: The E-Business Revolution and the Design of 21st-Century Companies and Markets, Grady Means and David Schneider-two of today's most influential and innovative global strategists-gather and make sense of the many changes the e-business revolution has fostered. Case histories and examples, from major corporations like Cisco Systems and major industries like the automobile industry, reveal how market leaders today are accelerating economic growth and value creation by capitalizing on the following:

Global expansion of market access
Better leverage of capital
Significant advances in operating efficiency
Improvements in the efficiency of capital markets
Dramatic unleashing of human potential and capital

It isn't a question of if your company will transform to an e-business model-it's a question of when. By 2002, virtually every major company in every sector will, by necessity, transform from a conventional to an e-business model. MetaCapitalism sets out the strategies and impacts of this fundamental change and introduces the new concepts that will become a natural part of the business lexicon in the near future. In this new era of outsourcing and diminishing physical capital base, how will companies be valued by the markets? Can "brand-owning" companies-as opposed to manufacturers-maintain sufficient controls and systems to guarantee that their network partners are well integrated with each other and the marketplace? How will "value-added communities"-both horizontal and vertical-support brand owners in dramatically reducing costs, increasing quality, and responding rapidly to customer demand and market shifts? MetaCapitalism answers all these questions and more, backed by the trusted experience and leadership-and market-driving innovation-that have always characterized the PricewaterhouseCoopers team. This thought-provoking book presents a template for success in the rapidly developing world of business-to-business e-business-a world which tomorrow's leaders must begin to understand and master today.