As firms increasingly adopt inter-organization computer networks (IONS) to improve coordination, researchers must be concerned about the long term impact of IONS on organizational relationships. This paper reports on an exploratory study of the use of IONS in design and manufacturing activities in the semiconductor industry. We identify the potential interactions between firms that can be facilitated by IONS, and focus on the implications for customer and producer interdependence. Our analysis suggests that the long term impacts of IONS are not technologically determined, and that their use ought to be regarded differently than those of other media.