In 2000, approximately 10.4 percent of all tickets were e-tickets. Herbold provided the IDRC attendees several examples besides American Airlines, including Charles Schwab, Fleet Bank and Wells Fargo. Charles Schwab, in fact, created a new business model that included technological aspects. Today, they have 3.5 million online accounts, a 148 percent increase from a year ago, and they have 42 percent of all online assets. They grew revenue by a factor of two by a change of design.
Reverse auctions are a key example of a way for companies can leverage technologies.
A reverse auction provides a group of authorized vendors, prescribes a time and date for the auction and a predetermines the length of the auction. Microsoft used a reverse auction for its relocation services, being that the company hires talent throughout the world and often relocates them to other areas. During the bidding process, the incumbent vendor barely dropped its rates, while the competition well underbid them. This use of technology, drives tremendous efficiencies where vendors are consumed. This reduces dependence upon single areas such as Silicon Valley.