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Managing Microcomputers in Large Organizations (1985) / Chapter Skim
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Control Through Persuasion
Pages 135-140

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From page 135...
... It is a cliversified financial services organization with over 40,000 people worldwide, $35 billion in assets, 1983 revenues of $12.5 billion, and an after-tax income of $400 million. CIGNA's Employee Life and Health Benefits Division is the nation's sixth largest provider of group insurance products, which include life, meclical, and dental insurance.
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From page 136...
... Ranked as one of the nation's top 10 managers of private pension funds, CIGNA's Employee Retirement and Savings Benefit Division provides a wide range of group annuity products and services and diversified investment vehicles for pension, profitsharing, and employee-paid investment and savings programs. In addition, CIGNA's Investment Group provides a variety of investment and portfolio management services and is among the nation's top asset management organizations.
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From page 137...
... In these cases, processing with outside vendors continued. About four years after we introduced QUEST I we came out with a new product called QUEST II.
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From page 138...
... In the late 1970s and early 1980s, when personal computers started to become popular, we made available to customers on a casual basis demonstrations of hardware and software and provided people to answer questions. This approach evolved into what we now call our "information centers." More recently, we established formal Information Centers in a half-clozen locations.
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From page 139...
... Our strategy is to internalize this service by having our customers order directly through an Information Center Computer Store. A centralized procurement activity will not only be convenient for our customers but will allow us to control inventory, offer standard!
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From page 140...
... Support-group members were able to subtly channel customers in the direction we wanted. Today they continue to provide and enhance support through two-way communications, thereby enabling us both to maintain control and to satisfy our customers' requirements.
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Key Terms

  • internal timesharing
  • customer community
  • management services
  • personal computers
  • financial services

  • computer store
  • outside timesharing
  • close ties
  • timesharing service
  • information center

  • competitively priced
  • center concept
  • pension funds
  • timesharing organizations
  • thereby enabling

  • offer standard
  • computers started
  • product called
  • cliversified financial
  • easier access

  • provided people
  • central control
  • avoiding multiple
  • work closely
  • top asset

  • health benefits
  • cigna developed
  • national contracts
  • insurance company
  • division provides


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