Akamai's Edge (A)

Van den Steen, Eric

Abstract

Akamai's Edge (A)

Eric Van den Steen

Harvard Business School - Competition & Strategy Unit

December 20, 2011

Harvard Business School Strategy Unit Case No. 712-455

Abstract:
In 2009, Paul Sagan, COE of Akamai, the leading online content delivery network with a 60% market share, needs to decide how to respond to aggressive entry in its market, whether and how to pursue the explosive growth in online video, and whether to stay with its distributed network model or move towards its competitors' more centralized design.

Learning Objective: To explore sources of competitive advantage, their implications for how to respond to entry, and the interaction with beliefs, vision, and mental models. To explore how the effectiveness of network effects as a competitive advantage may be reduced by market growth and by alternative business models.

working papers series

Date posted: March 20, 2012

Suggested Citation

Van den Steen, Eric, Akamai's Edge (A) (December 20, 2011). Harvard Business School Strategy Unit Case No. 712-455. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2026018

Contact Information

Eric Van den Steen (Contact Author)

Harvard Business School - Competition & Strategy Unit ( email )

Harvard Business School
Soldiers Field Road
Boston, MA 02163
United States