Question: Digital Books

Break up into groups of three to five people and discuss the following scenario. Appoint one group member as a spokesperson who will communicate your findings to the class. You are a group of managers and software engineers at a small start-up that has developed software that enables customers to easily download and view digital books on a variety of digital devices, from PCs to iPods and e-book readers. The same software also allows customers to share digital books using peer-to-peer technology (the same technology that allows people to share music fi les on the web) and to "burn" digital books onto DVDs.

1. How do you think the market for this software is likely to develop? What factors might inhibit adoption of this software?

2. Can you think of a strategy that your company might pursue in combination with book publishers that will enable your company to increase revenues and the fi lm companies to reduce piracy rates?

Article File 7

Find an example of an industry that has undergone a technological paradigm shift in recent years. What happened to the established companies as that paradigm shift unfolded?

Strategic Management Project: Module 7

This module requires you to analyze the industry environment in which your company is based and determine if it is vulnerable to a technological paradigm shift. With the information you have at your disposal, answer the following questions:

1. What is the dominant product technology used in the industry in which your company is based?

2. Are technical standards important in your industry? If so, what are they?

3. What are the attributes of the majority of customers purchasing the product of your company (e.g., early adopters, early majority, late majority)? What does this tell you about the strategic issues that the company is likely to face in the future?

4. Did the dominant technology in your industry diffuse rapidly or slowly? What drove the speed of diffusion?

5. Where is the dominant technology in your industry on its S-curve? Are alternative competing technologies being developed that might give rise to a paradigm shift in your industry?

6. Are intellectual property rights important to your company? If so, what strategies is it adopting to protect those rights? Is it doing enough?