| Abstract: | Not long ago, the telecommunications industry was a dusty strategic backwater of little interest, primarily concerned with proprietary technologies and enjoying a protected status. Not any more; the application of silicon and software to telecom has obliterated entry barriers, forced open the market, and, according to Mariann Jelinek, created a whole new strategic situation. Telecom is now a highly competitive, innovative, high-technology industry, with a worldwide market. Professor Jelinek suggests that the key to understanding the shift lies in comprehending the new technologies being applied and understanding their impact on the traditional markets and missions of the firms that use them. The lessons of these changes are important for all managers, especially those in mature industries, since microelectronics and software applications seem to know no industry boundaries. They are invading our lives on all sides. |
