Launching and steering a green IT company: the case of GreenField software
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Abstract
This teaching case discusses the challenges facing GreenField Software (GFS), a start-up company offering software products and services to support sustainability. The case describes the start-up process, the crafting of the firm's strategy and structure, and the development of its products and services in the emerging ‘green Information Technology (IT)’ industry. It follows the key decisions made by the CEO and his executive team as they navigate a shifting and increasingly competitive marketplace. As GFS approaches the 2-year anniversary of its launch, the team must decide several key issues. These include whether to market their product as a business continuity solution or as a ‘green IT’ solution; what intellectual property will differentiate them from the competition; and how to respond to the changing needs of the marketplace.
Keywords
green IT sustainability strategy entrepreneurship energy informaticsReferences
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