Includes bibliographical references and index.

Why products companies consider service business -- Clarifying the strategic intent of the service business -- The degree of change needed to set up a service business -- First base : gaining a clear perspective of service markets -- Creating the services to be sold in the new market -- Altering the operations of a product company to provide services -- Selling services -- Marketing services instead of products -- Positioning a product brand in a service market -- In conclusion.

During the last thirty years, a wide range of product companies throughout the Western economies have considered moving into or setting up service businesses. Some have rejected the idea after careful consideration, some have wandered into competitive services without any real idea of what is involved and others have deliberately executed a carefully considered strategic manoeuvre. Included in this debate are some of the most famous business names in the western world: Unisys, Ericsson, Michelin, Nokia and HP. For IBM it was Lou Gerstener's 'big bet'; at GE it was one of former CEO Jack Welch'

Print version record.

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