ABSTRACT
Netcentric computing is making new kinds of capabilities possible — for individuals and for businesses. Southwest is succeeding in the airline industry with a business model that was all “wrong,” at least in theory. In a time of spokes and hubs and an industry built on elegance, Southwest followed the obsolete route model and bargain-basement prices and performed beyond all expectations. Many companies have gone back and addressed their internal processes as they participated in total quality management and business process reengineering initiatives. From a business point of view, many companies are reaching maximum efficiency in overhead and internal operations, which leads them to netcentric technologies and the opportunities at the boundaries of the enterprise — in the inbound and outbound channels. The Interactive Phone Store has proven to be a vital NBTel business strategy; they have some impressive statistics on the business benefits they have achieved.
