Andreas Birkholz

Business Analysis of web.de AG Andreas Birkholz

Scholarly Research Paper from the year 2004 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, grade: 79 points (equivalent 1,0) (A), Anglia Ruskin University (Ashcroft International Business School), course: Competitive Analysis and Business Performance, 45 entries in the bibliography, language: English, comment: Business Analysis of web.de AG with comparision to competitors United Internet AG and freenet.de AG (incl. a 3-year forecast, qualitative analysis (PEST, Ansoff Matrix), quantitative analysis (horizontal, vertical, cross-sectional, key financial ratios, benchmarks) and the development of short/mid/long-term strategic options) , abstract: The Internet has been emerging incredibly during the past decade. It has created new ways of communication and doing business. The companies operating via the Internet are confronted with speedy changes in their environment. This term paper analyses the German Internet service provider web.de AG. First of all, the current industry and market of electronic commerce are subject to description. This is followed by a presentation of the current situation of web.de and its competitors. The analytical chapter is split into two major parts: The qualitative analysis examines the environmental forces whereas the quantitative analysis puts emphasis on financial figures and ratios. Afterwards three options (short-term, mid-term and long-term) of future development of web.de are discussed. Finally, there is an outlook on the web service industry as a whole and some recommendations for web.de in particular. These recommendations are tested and modelled using a comprehensive spreadsheet which results in a three-year forecast.