Abstract
XcelleNet, a $35 million system software company based in Atlanta, was founded in 1986 to address the computing needs of a class of remote and mobile users and data that were rarely connected to a network. Though the clear first mover and leader in the remote enterprise computing segment in 1996, XcelleNet and its market had been stalled by successive waves of networking technology--remote LAN Access, Groupware, and the Internet/Intranet. The company's founder and CEO, Dennis Crumpler, must formulate a strategy for capitalizing on XcelleNet's first-mover advantage and responding to the opportunities created by these emerging technologies.
Keywords: Technological Innovation;
Opportunities;
Competitive Strategy;
Competitive Advantage;
Technology Networks;
Computer Industry;
Atlanta;
Citation:
Bradley, Stephen P., Richard L. Nolan, and James Leonard. "XcelleNet, Inc. (A)." Harvard Business School Case 796-189, January 1999. (Revised from original June 1996 version.)