Questions from Readings: Week #5

1. In Chapter 7 from Seen What’s Next, Christensen mentions that one of the innovation’s dilemmas in the case of Intel is that Intel continues to improve its technology, but this creates opportunities for upstarts (disruptive entrants) “The very thing that makes Intel great is the very thing that creates opportunities for the attacking firms.” (171). In this regard, how incumbents like Microsoft can protect themselves from the disruptive entrants’ unique skills as the undershot customers shrinks?

2. From Chapter 7 from Seen What’s Next by Christensen: What other circumstances can change the actions follow by a company that were successful in the past that may not be successful in the future, especially in companies like Google in regards to Moore’s Law?

3. In the article As We May Think by Vannevar Bush, the author was able to see or predict what could be next based on the technology available back in 1945. Many of his technological predictions became true. If the internet would have existed back then, what do you think Vannevar Bush would have seeing next after the internet?

4. On chapter 2 from Winston reading, there was a battle between Gray’s and Bell’s innovations back then, if this would have happen now, what are some of the patent regulation laws that could protect Bell?

Questions/Week #3

Questions connected to the content of the book Seeing What’s Next

How to Use Theory to Analyze

1. Since the market has become more global, what can business offer for the non-consumer market in other countries or communities that are not English speaking, would language be part of the innovation in their products?

2. Now that it seems that there are no limits in consumption in the newspaper industry –thanks to the Internet- (convenience, customization and low prices) what do newspapers have to do to bring non-consumer and to create opportunities for a new-market disruptive growth in many thing that this industry as we know it now is dying?

3. In the newspaper industry who may we say are the non-consumers, now that news are free thanks to the Internet?

Two part question

4. In the book there is a section that talks about standards and how sometimes these standards are not always a good think for undershot customers, in this same note the book mentions how banks integrated the predictive risk assessment in order to determine if a customer qualify for a loan as a standard. Why did banks/mortgage decided to ignore this standard in the last couple of years and as a result many homeowners lost their properties? In this case the only reason could be that some of the homeowners where overshot customers, then was okay to ignore this standard (according to the book), but at the end it was not. Is there a risk factor that helps us determine whether is good or bad to ignore a standard when the customer is an overshot customer?

5. I’m still a little confused with the term modular. What makes a product modular?

Questions: Week 9

I don’t know who will be our guest speaker, but I have some questions in general.

1) In regards to digital business and what companies like Microsoft, Google, Yahoo etc. will do to ensure accesibility to internet for underdeveloped countries? or perhaps the US government?

2) Last April, an executive from Google visit the country of Chile and he mentioned that even though, Chile was a rich country, the universities there, where not preparing students (professionals) for the digital business demand.  What do professionals and students here in United States need to do to keep up with technology and its business demands?

3) Few days ago Wikipedia anounce that a search engine, built and mantained by peers/volunteers will be launched and will be able to compete with companies like Google.  As peer production continues to increase, how companies like Google or Microsoft need or will do prevent that one day digital content be free of cost?

Howard Rheingold Questions

The article Local Exchange Trading System mentions that this works a s a communal energy exchange, how does this systems regulates its members in terms of immigration status (undocumented members who will be able to pay their rent and buy their groceries in exchange of their work, let say that they are construction workers or carpenters)?  Would there be special rates for this population as it is now in the regular market (undocumented people are paid below the minimum wage)? 

How does this mechanism deals with the IRS?

Wouldn’t this method alienated people who has no access or doesn’t know how to use a computer? What about people who doesn’t speak English in this country, would this be available in other languages?

 

The article also mentions that if a member is caught claiming credits he/she didn’t earn, then he/she is not allowed to participate of this mechanism, but what about hackers? How is this mechanism protected from hackers who can manipulate or stole credits?

Questions

Why this new technology changed the way we use to do business?

How this new way of doing business affects parts of the world with no access to internet?

What is the solution to ensure internet access for everyone around the world?