In many cases companies who enter a market after innovative products have been introduced can achieve long-term competitive advantages by continuing to develop a better mousetrap. For example, VisiCalc was the first company to introduce a desktop spreadsheet program, but Lotus Notes cornered a large market share when it introduced the 1-2-3 program. Today, however, Microsoft's Excel is the dominant spreadsheet software program and has continued to endure due to the popularity of the Microsoft Office Suite of products. VisiCalc possessed a ___________ advantage while Microsoft enjoyed a ___________ advantage.
A) first-mover; late-mover
B) late-mover; first mover
C) sustainable; unsustainable
D) economic; technological

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

VisiCalc was the first company to introduce a desktop spreadsheet program, making them a first-mover. Lotus Notes was a late-mover but was able to gain market share with the 1-2-3 program. However, Microsoft's Excel eventually became dominant due to its inclusion in the Microsoft Office Suite of products, making them a late-mover. Therefore, VisiCalc had a first-mover advantage while Microsoft enjoyed a late-mover advantage.

In Many Cases Companies Who Enter a Market After Innovative