Saint MKT569 ESRI Case study

1. Of the three types of uncertainty that characterize high-tech markets, which type is ESRI experiencing most acutely? Elaborate and provide strategic implications for ESRI.

2. What are the characteristics of the newest competitors that have allowed them to gain traction in the GIS industry?

3. To what extent does ESRI face “disruption,” in the classic (Chapter 1) sense of the word?

4. Should ESRI explicitly target the new GIS customer (mainstream, nonprofessional, low-end)? If so, what organizational changes might this require (Chapter 2, Chapter 3)?

5. How would you characterize GIS diffusion in terms of the categories of adopters? Has it crossed the chasm?

6. How can companies such as ESRI compete in this era of “free” (Chapter 10)?
 7. What should the traditional GIS vendors such as ESRI do, in light of the new industry trends?