In the quest for better differentiation of their products, many firms in B2B markets have started to systematically invest in brand building. Stefan Worm analyzes how component supplier brand strength among original equipment manufacturers’ (OEMs’) customers affects component suppliers’ market performance in their relationships with these OEMs. Further, the author determines which management instruments are effective in building, sustaining, and leveraging component supplier brand strength. The analysis relies on data collected from multiple manufacturing industries.

When Richard Rumelt's Good Strategy/Bad Strategy was published in 2011, it immediately struck a chord, calling out as bad strategy the mish-mash of pop culture, motivational slogans and business buzz speak so often and misleadingly masquerading as the real thing. Since then, his original and pragmatic ideas have won fans around the world and continue to help readers to recognise and avoid the elements of bad strategy and adopt good, action-oriented strategies that honestly acknowledge the challenges being faced and offer straightforward approaches to overcoming them. Strategy should not be equated with ambition, leadership, vision or planning; rather, it is coherent action backed by an argument. For Rumelt, the heart of good strategy is insight into the hidden power in any situation, and into an appropriate response - whether launching a new product, fighting a war or putting a man on the moon. Drawing on examples of the good and the bad from across all sectors and all ages, he shows how this insight can be cultivated with a wide variety of tools that lead to better thinking and better strategy, strategy that cuts through the hype and gets results.

Annotation This work provides a comprehensive overview of research and practical issues relating to component-based information systems (CBIS). Spanning the organizational, developmental, and technical aspects of the subject, the original research included here provides fresh insights into successful CBIS technology and application, including the selection and trading of commercial off-the shelf products (COTS).

This work provides a comprehensive overview of research and practical issues relating to component-based development information systems (CBIS). Spanning the organizational, developmental, and technical aspects of the subject, the original research included here provides fresh insights into successful CBIS technology and application. Part I covers component-based development methodologies and system architectures. Part II analyzes different aspects of managing component-based development. Part III investigates component-based development versus commercial off-the-shelf products (COTS), including the selection and trading of COTS products.

Component Models and Systems for Grid Applications is the essential reference for the most current research on Grid technologies. This first volume of the CoreGRID series addresses such vital issues as the architecture of the Grid, the way software will influence the development of the Grid, and the practical applications of Grid technologies for individuals and businesses alike. Part I of the book, "Application-Oriented Designs", focuses on development methodology and how it may contribute to a more component-based use of the Grid. "Middleware Architecture", the second part, examines portable Grid engines, hierarchical infrastructures, interoperability, as well as workflow modeling environments. The final part of the book, "Communication Frameworks", looks at dynamic self-adaptation, collective operations, and higher-order components. With Component Models and Systems for Grid Applications, editors Vladimir Getov and Thilo Kielmann offer the computing professional and the computing researcher the most informative, up-to-date, and forward-looking thoughts on the fast-growing field of Grid studies.

Model-based performance prediction systematically deals with the evaluation of software performance to avoid for example bottlenecks, estimate execution environment sizing, or identify scalability limitations for new usage scenarios. Such performance predictions require up-to-date software performance models. This book describes a new integrated reverse engineering approach for the reconstruction of parameterised software performance models (software component architecture and behaviour).

On behalf of the Organizing Committee I am pleased to present the proceedings of the 2005 Symposium on Component-Based Software Engineering (CBSE). CBSE is concerned with the development of software-intensive systems from reusable parts (components), the development of reusable parts, and system maintenance and improvement by means of component replacement and c- tomization. CBSE 2005, “Software Components at Work,” was the eighth in a series of events that promote a science and technology foundation for achieving predictable quality in software systems through the use of software component technology and its associated software engineering practices. We were fortunate to have a dedicated Program Committee comprised of 30 internationally recognized researchers and industrial practitioners. We received 91 submissions andeach paper wasreviewedby at least three ProgramComm- tee members (four for papers with an author on the Program Committee). The entirereviewingprocesswassupportedbyCyberChairPro,theWeb-basedpaper submissionandreviewsystemdevelopedandsupportedbyRichardvandeStadt of Borbala Online Conference Services. After a two-day virtual Program C- mittee meeting, 21 submissions were accepted as long papers and 2 submissions were accepted as short papers.