Fastlane Technologies Incorporated Case Summary

FastLane Technologies Incorporated

Background

FastLane was founded in 1993. It was founded for developing network administration software. They developed a specialized programming language called FastLane Integrated Network Application Language (FINAL).

Issue/Situation:

Migrating from VINES to NT, Positioning issue, Distribution

SWOT Analysis

Strength

Mature technology.

Scripts could be developed relatively quickly and inexpensively.

Weakness

The management team at FastLane was young and lacked maturity.

Processes and procedures were embryonic, particularly in the areas of marketing and sales.

Word-of-mouth about FastLane and its products was virtually unknown in the NT world.

The strategy wasn’t as focused as it might have been.

The positioning and message was not coherent.

It has a very limited network of contacts.

It lacks attractiveness to the skilled employees who are needed to help grow FastLane.

Opportunities

The reconfiguration of domains was a huge challenge in a large organization and was almost impossible to do manually.

There’s an increasing need for tools to simplify and standardize the job of the network manger by automating repetitive tasks and ensuring that standard operating procedures were adhered to.

Threats

Microsoft has developed a software for immigrating customers from VINES to NT, and will provide it for free.

The integrators would not be as effective at tapping into smaller accounts with networks of less than 1000 users.

A direct competition, Querisoft, Inc. has developed a Windows NT system administration tool that allowed user, group and domain management through Visual Basic or Java script

Competitor Analysis

Porter’s 5 Forces

Industries: nearly no direct competitor, high fixed costs

Entrants: high costs of entry

Substitutes: Java, C++, Visual Basic

Suppliers: the skilled employees – highly concentrated

Buyers: individual users and organizational users – high switching cost