Prentice Hall Publishes "Let Go to Grow: Escaping the Commodity Trap"

IBM's Leading Business Transformation Executive Shows Firms of All Sizes How to Bring Innovation Into Their Businesses

UPPER SADDLE RIVER, NJ -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 12/20/05 -- Prentice Hall Professional today announced the publication of "Let Go to Grow: Escaping the Commodity Trap," designed to show business leaders how to let go of outdated business models and management systems and embrace collaboration as a means of driving innovation and sustained revenue growth.

"Let Go to Grow" was written by Linda Sanford, an IBM senior vice president who leads her company's internal business transformation, and Dave Taylor, an entrepreneur who has written 20 books and teaches at the University of Colorado.

"To get on the path to growth, businesses need to let go of some long held ideas about command and control and open up their organizations to work with external partners in more meaningful ways," Sanford said. "Collaboration is the key to driving breakthrough innovation and growth."

"Let Go to Grow" begins with the premise that the Internet, globalization, and deregulation have given rise to an ultra-competitive marketplace in which many products and services have become commodities. In this environment, it's tough for businesses to differentiate themselves and grow revenue. Traditional responses to competition -- outsourcing, cost cutting, efficiencies, mergers and acquisitions, and restructuring -- are often smart moves, the authors say, but they are not enough to protect businesses from the perils of commoditization.

Sanford and Taylor outline the characteristics of "Let Go to Grow" businesses, beginning with the concept of components -- the core processes performed by a company -- and how to identify these components through careful examination of the company's strengths and weaknesses. Strong components should be used across the company to create new revenue streams. Weak business components must be improved either through process improvements, outside partnerships, or divestitures. Once a business zeros in on its core components, it can team with others to create "value webs" in which each participant draws on the others' core strengths, allowing for collaboration both across and between enterprises.

"Let Go to Grow" delivers more than 200 pages of guidance, organized into 11 chapters, supported by rich case studies from leading global corporations. For more information and a sample chapter, visit www.prenhallprofessional.com/title/0131482084. The book is available through major chain and independent booksellers worldwide and through online vendors at a suggested retail price of US $24.99.

About Prentice Hall Professional

Prentice Hall Professional is a respected publisher of quality computer science and engineering books and software for technical professionals. It is a business of Pearson Technology Group, the world's largest provider of consumer and professional computer, information technology, engineering and reference content. Pearson Technology Group is part of Pearson Education, the global leader in educational publishing, providing scientifically research-based print and digital programs to help students of all ages learn at their own pace, in their own way. Virtually all students in America learn from a Pearson program at some point in their educational career. In the U.S., nearly 25,000 schools use Pearson technology to help instruct preK-12 students and manage how they are doing. Pearson provides schools customizable services to create, deliver, score and report educational assessments, both in print and online, that help promote learning. The company is home to such renowned publishing brands as Pearson Learning Group, Pearson Digital Learning, Pearson Scott Foresman, Pearson Allyn & Bacon Professional, Pearson Educational Measurement, among others. Pearson Education is part of Pearson (NYSE: PSO), the international media company. In addition to Pearson Education, Pearson's primary operations include the Financial Times Group and the Penguin Group.

Other product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.

Note To Editors:

ADVANCE PRAISE QUOTES FOR "Let Go to Grow”

"Over the next ten years large companies will be hit with a wide array of harrowing new business challenges -- commoditization being at the top of that list. 'Let Go To Grow' elegantly outlines the critical new innovation, standardization, and globalization strategies that corporations can use to hurdle these obstacles and thrive in the coming years."

--George F. Colony, CEO, Forrester Research, Inc

"This is a very important book for CEOs and top executives who are facing brutal, global competitive pressures, which is probably a majority. 'Let Go To Grow' describes a strategy that will allow you as a business leader to do what you do best, while sidestepping the commoditization that's driving down profit margins in so many businesses. This book reflects not only what IBM is thinking, but also what other companies ranging from Dell to FedEx to Wal-Mart are doing to win in extremely competitive markets. Read this book for practical real-world insights, not for any academic theories."

--William J. Holstein, Editor-in-Chief, Chief Executive Magazine

"'Let Go To Grow' is a must-read for executives who are trying to use strategy and management practices to drive innovation and productivity gains. It puts concepts like componentization, outsourcing, and off-shoring in a much more strategic context than anything else I've read. The book clearly shows how winning companies have gone from optimizing value chains to managing global 'value webs' for competitive advantage. The argument is enhanced significantly by specific practical case examples featuring leading companies like Dell, eBay, GE, Procter & Gamble, and Toyota."

--Tony Friscia, President and CEO, AMR Research

"Sanford and Taylor carefully analyze the global marketplace and offer a progressive new strategy for transforming an underperforming business...A pioneering blueprint for the 21st-century business."

--Kirkus Reports

Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=226035