1) Choose a technology and assess the process of dominance that led to a leading technology standard using the factors, battle milestones, and key phases of dominance from the article, Suarez, F. 2004. “Battles for technological dominance: an integrative framework”, Research Policy. Volume 33, Issue 2, pp. 271‐286.
A technology that achieved dominance is Apple’s Macintosh computers. According to Suarez’s article (1)“A technology—broadly defined as a set of pieces of knowledge, some of which are embodied in physical devices and equipment—becomes dominant as the result of a complex process by which several competing alternatives and versions are de-selected until a preferred technological “hierarchy” becomes evident”. Apple’s Macintosh and Microsoft’s Personal Computer, have been competing against each other for a number of years. However, Apple has distinguished itself from its competitors, and therefore achieved dominance.
The factors contributing to a technology’s dominance influence the outcome of the technology battle. These factors are split into two groups. The first group is the Firm-Level Factors, which consist of the firm’s: Technological Superiority, Complementary Assets and Credibility, Installed Base, and Strategic Maneuvering. (1). There are a number of companies that offer personal computers to consumers, with many having similarities. To distinguish their computers from competing alternatives, Apple provides compatibility with their other products, such as the IPod and IPhone. Surprisingly, technological superiority does not always lead to dominance. (1) The differences between the technology and the competing alternatives must be great in order for it to dominate. In the case of Apple’s Macintosh, the unique I...
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...ts. The fourth phase is the Decisive Battle, which means competitors develop a customer base. This is an important phase as customer’s decisions can greatly affect the firm. The last phase is Post Dominance, which clearly shows the dominant technology has emerged in the market. This phase can last for a long period of time.
1. Suarez, F. (n.d.). Battles for technological dominance: an integrative framework..com. Retrieved November 10, 2013, from http://www.sciencedirect.com
2. Martellaro, J. (n.d.). Surprise: Apple Sells to the Federal Government. The Mac Observer. Retrieved November 10, 2013, from http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/su
3. Licensing Brief - Licensing Windows and Microsoft Office to Use with the Apple Mac. (n.d.). Microsoft Volume. Retrieved November 10, 2013, from http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/about-licensing/briefs/apple-mac.aspx
Working together, Carnegie and Vanderbilt had created an industrial machine so powerful, that nothing stood in its path. This is much similar to how Microsoft has monopolized the computer software industry by eliminating competition and using questionable means of obtaining their place on the hierarchy of corporations in the bus...
...nd expansion. History has proven this time and time again. One of the reasons that the European empire was so successful was due to its great advanced in the realm of technology. But, what one must keep in mind is that with this technology comes the factor of time. As time ticks, technology may advance but also, people find ways around this technology or the technology fails you. For example, in Vietnam air power failed due to adaptation. Much like in Kosovo, technological use of air power failed due to other circumstances. While Serbians were driven out of Kosovo, murders went up and fighting increased due to people’s frustrations and will power ti fight for what they believe in. Therefore, while technology can gain a great edge over your opponents, it can never replace the will and desire for one nation to achieve its goals and in time, that technology can fail.
Miller, Derek D Essay: Brave New World and the threat of technological growth Vol 3 2011.Print
Hollar, Sherman. Pioneers of the Industrial Age: Breakthroughs in Technology. New York: Britannica Educational Pub. in Association with Rosen Educational Services, 2013. Web.
When European exploration led to the populating of the Americas, it was described as the event with one of the greatest ecological impacts in history. The force behind this impact was the mass movement of people and their behavior's toward their "New World". It only stands to reason that a clash would occur with the natives of these lands. One of the areas with the greatest conflict was the field of technology.
... Leaders emerged who told people what to do with their technology – you do this, you do that, you plant here, you plant this there. During the Urban Revolution and the birth of civilization, technology exploded and was being used for all sorts of activities. Strong leadership and government not only emerged, but conquered society. Kings, pharaohs, and top leaders were dictating what technology could and could not be used to carry out tasks. They created bureaucracies to aid in the running of government and to oversee the use of the various technologies. They were supporting the further development of technologies by investing time, effort and money into grooming classes of individuals to learn, study, improve current technology, and invent new technologies. As technology increased and became more advanced, so too did the politics used to control that same technology.
Within the last decade Apple has become one of the largest growing companies in the world and the largest valued company in the United States. According to a recent article in The Guardian, a global financial news website, “Apple set a record by becoming the first company to be valued at over $700bn (£446bn).” (Fletcher, N. 2014) This comes as no surprise to the average computer aficionado and shareholder as Apple has been making a name for itself since its inception. From its earliest Macintosh models to today’s iPhones, Apple has been a trailblazer for software, technology and revolutionizing the way we communicate on a Macro level. Their dedication to innovation, quality and service has made them
One of the main points that Clive Thompson poses. Is that technology should be used as a tool. He brings up as an example the most strategic and tactically driven
It is not just technology that people compete with but other goods to be bought like clothes and houses and even furniture and appliances. People as a whole are consumed by and possessed with the need to buy things and have better than their neighbors because it makes them feel superior and better than others and no one wants to feel lesser than someone else. People need a better approach to life, it was put best by Thoreau who said “it is necessary that we be troubled, or, at least, careful” (Thoreau). What he said could be interpreted as people need to be mindful of what they are doing lest it turn out badly, this can be implemented to the obsession of consumerism and materi...
Technology can be regarded as a phenomenon with vast uncertainties. Technological change is rapid and we are struggling to keep up to date with the latest advances, while learning new ones and trying to prepare for the next changes proposed for the future. In order to do so, however, we need to be clear about what we mean, and what we consider to be a technology and evaluate some of the assumptions of our understanding of our technologically advanced society.
It seems since that dawn of the era of man we have always been in competition with one another. We have fought countless wars over every issue imaginable, with many great civilizations being founded and destroyed by war. Though with each new conflict comes newer and better technology. Technology is what drives civilizations forward, but it can also lead to its downfall. It is fascinating see how much technology has evolved over history, and how we have incorporated these innovations into newer technology. In past century technology has seen its greatest leap forward. This is in large part due to the two major World Wars that plagued the early part of the 20th century. (Koch p.122)
It was Steve Jobs who made Apple leave the garage and make leaps and bounds in the world of technology. Steve Wozniak made the first prototype, but it was Jobs who “saw the potential” in his computer and persuaded Wozniak to sell it (Peterson 106). Even though that first computer saw very little success, Jobs knew that Apple had potential and so released the Apple II. From the beginning Jobs knew what the consumers wanted, and where computers were going to take the world; he had a vision of the opportunities in technology and saw that Apple needed to move in a different direction. In 1984, one year before he left, Jobs finished the Macintosh computer system. He was pushed from his original computer design project, “the Lisa”, and then raced to release the Mac first, but the Lisa was released to the public first. Although the Lisa came out first, the Mac “[became] synonymous with Apple, mark[ing] a…revolution in…personal computing,” (Peterson 106).
Electricity, the telephone, the steam engine, the telegraph, the railroad and ..IT? In his HBR article, "IT Doesn't Matter," Nicholas Carr has stirred up quite a bit of controversy around IT's role as strategic business differentiator. He examines the evolution of IT and argues that it follows a pattern very similar to that of earlier technologies like railroads and electricity. At the beginning of their evolution, these technologies provided opportunities for competitive advantage. However, as they become more and more available as they become ubiquitous they transform into "commodity inputs," and lose their strategic differentiation capabilities. From a strategic viewpoint, they essentially become "invisible."
A technology’s success and impact is directly associated with how well it is adopted. For example, when comparing th...
In the early 1980s the top competitor in this industry was IBM due to its open system and ease of being cloned. During this same time, Apple struggled to keep pace and changed its competitive strategy multiple times. From 1980 to 1993 Apple positioned itself in the computer industry as the company that provides easy to use desktops with superior software and hardware. Unlike its competitors, Apple did not use “open systems that other producers could clone; instead they practiced horizontal and vertical integration and used Apple’s own proprietary design” (Pearce, 2013). It is this strategy that held the company back. Open systems were popular within the industry and customers enjoyed the flexibility of the systems