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v1.0可编辑可修改 v1.0可编辑可修改 v1.0可编辑可修改 BusinessEnglish ThroughCases ACourseSpeciallyDesignedforMBAcandidatesatSchoolofBusiness,SoochowUniversity ByDr.XuJian() March2,2005 1. Foundationsandchallengesofbusiness FacingBusinessChallengesatGateway2000 FromFarmBoytoBillionaire Computers.Theoddsareslimyouwillsurvive,muchlessthrive,inthisindustry.Youhavetoguesswhatcustomerswillwantmorethanayearinadvance,eventhoughtechnologyischangingatanincrediblyfastpace.It’shardlyabusinessforcowboys—unlessyou’reTedWaitt. Sonofafourth-generationcattlebroker,Waitt(currently34andworthanestimated$billion)ridesherdoverGateway2000.TheytellstoriesaboutWaitt,andnotjustinSiouxCity,SouthDakota—Gateway’shomeland.Theytalkabouthowhebuiltafortunebytrustinghisinstinctsandmakinggutsycallsthatledtheindustry.Howheborrowed$10,000fromhisgrandmothertostartamail-ordercomputerbusiness,andhowheturnedatwo-man,farmhouseoperationintoaglobalgiant—inonlytenyears.Andtheytalkaboutthepony-tailedfarmboycladindeckshoesandapoloshirtwhoknewthatsomedayhewasgoingtorunhisowncompany. ItallbeganwhileWaittwasworkingforalocalcomputerstore;hewasamazedbyhoweasyitwastosellcomputerequipmenttoacknowledgeablecomputerusersoverthephone.Soin1985Waitt(themarketer)teamedupwithhisbuddyMikeHammond(thetechnicalwhiz),andthetwostartedasmallmail-ordercomputerbusinessoftheirown.WaittandHammondworkedlonghours—fromtheirupstairsofficeinWaitt’sfamilyfarmhouse. Theirbigbreakcamein1987,whenTexasInstruments(TI)decidedtostopmanufacturingitsowncomputersandinsteadsellonlyindustry-standardIBM-compatiblepersonalcomputers(PCs).Ofcourse,ownersofTIcomputerscouldtradeintheirequipmentfornewerIBM-compatiblecomputers,butfirsttheywouldhavetocoughup$3,500.WaittandHammondknewtheycouldprovidethesamecomputerequipmentTIwasoffering—andatamuchcheaperprice($1,955).Theydidthisbyfindingthebestdealsoncutting-edgecomputercomponents,andassemblingthecomponentstobuildtopqualitycustomPCs.Becauseallsalesweremade-to-orderandtransactedoverthephone,Gatewaycouldaffordtogivec