Microsoft offers a rare example of an incumbent that has survived the era of digital transformation – reclaiming a place among the undisputable tech giants (GAFA). Its performance is all the more remarkable given the challenges it faced at the end of the Ballmer era, when Satya was appointed the turn-around CEO in 2014.

Bird Office is a start-up, launched in Paris, with a digital platform for rental of temporary office space and meeting rooms. The case traces Bird Office from its entrepreneurial beginnings to a fully-fledged business with innovative initiatives designed to achieve competitive advantage as the number of local and international competitors and other players soars.

Monkey Tie, an entrepreneurial firm based in Paris, focuses on innovative digital HR solutions related to ‘affinity matching’ of people to positions. It represents a major change in the approach to recruitment, using online tools to find a ‘fit’ between the job requirements and the skills and personality of the candidate.