Case Name :      Global Sources Ltd.: The Evolution of B2B

Authors :           Allen Morrison, Tom Gleave, John C. Beck

Source :             Ivey Publishing

Case ID :            901M65

Discipline :        Strategy

Case Length :    25 pages

Solution Sample availability : YES

Plagiarism : NO (100% Original work)

Global Sources Ltd. is Asia’s leading publisher of business-to-business (B2B) trade-related magazines. In the latter half of the 1990s, the Internet became a powerful force for change in the business world, leading to an explosion of Internet-related activities by both traditional bricks and mortar companies, as well as countless upstart dot.coms. The chairman and CEO of Global Sources had foreseen the opportunities afforded by the Internet early on and had made it an integral part of the company’s strategy. Currently, the level of activity in the B2B portal space has evolved so quickly that a noticeable degree of confusion among suppliers, buyers, and investors about the merits and drawbacks of these portals has arisen. Moreover, the sustainability of these ventures has been brought into question, which is causing a dramatic reversal of fortunes for many companies. The result is that there are strong signs that the industry will experience a significant consolidation. This has left Global Sources chairman with the key challenge of generating greater visibility among users and potential users of the companies services, as well as greater interest from the investment community to remain viable. The company must be able to educate and convey its value proposition to its users, as well as determine whether it should continue to remain an independent player, purchase a competitor, or enter into a strategic alliance.