In front of us lies a rather unique study. Unique in respect of both its initiative and its set up. This study is the result of a private initiative of an international organization of management consultancy firms. It is the first time that such a broad international study was undertaken jointly by individual consulting firms in many different countries. Moreover the method used can be characterized as 'from the bottom up'. Representatives of almost 100 organizations in seven European countries were interviewed by seven individual management consultancy firms on the basis of their own reputation and contacts. Not only the well-known multinationals in the information and communication industry participated, but also medium-sized and small companies as well as government agencies. The study focuses on one sector of industry that is considered to be of prime importance for employment in Europe, viz. the information and communication industry. It is generally assumed that important instruments for the stimulation and strengthening of Europe's position in this field are: reduction of competition within Europe better coordination of R&D efforts improved harmonization of rules, standards and regulations better coordination and education programmes increased stimulation and guidance by governments. This study puts these assumptions to the test. It assesses the state of the art regarding these instruments and identifies the actions needed to improve the present situation.

Computers, telecommunications equipment, semiconductors - the products and technologies of the information and communications (IC) industry have transformed our world. Most of these products were initially developed in Western countries, but by the early 1990s some of the world's largestcompanies in the field were Japanese. This book explains the resurgence of Japan's IC giants, their global status, and their strengths and weaknesses. Empirical scrutiny of their evolution is the author's own theory of the most appropriate method for studying the dynamics of long-term industrialchange. While the Japanese motor vehicle and consumer electronics industries have been relatively well analysed, there are no comprehensive up-to-date studies of the Japanese IC industry. This book addresses the questions consequently left unanswered: How were Japanese IC companies able tocatch up with their western rivals--and in some cases overtake them? How have Japanese IC companies responded to the post-IBM world of computing? Why do they remain primarily dependent on the Japanese market? Why do they combine competences in computers, semiconductors, and telecommunicationsequipment, while their US counterparts are far more specialized? What role has been played by the Japanese government and the system of controlled competition in their success? Will Japanese IC companies become increasingly competitive internationally in the future? The author extends theevolutionary approach to the organization of the firm and industry developed by such writers as Schumpeter, Nelson, Winter, and Chandler. He argues that in order to understand the evolution of companies and industries, it is necessary to create a theory of the firm capable of encompassing thedevelopment of real firms in the real world in real time. This approach stresses the importance of the beliefs that are constructed in the firm under conditions of 'interpretive ambiguity', which guide the firm's decisions and its reactions to new technologies. Lengthy analyses of NEC and NTT (byfar the world's largest company in terms of market value; its future currently under government scrutiny), and of the computing, switiching, and optical fibre industries, illustrate these concepts. Based on over 600 personal interviews over eight years with Japanese leaders, this book providesimportant new material on the past, present, and future of Japanese industry.

I have taught a graduate course on the history of the information and communications industry for 20 years. The course shows students how the world has moved from primitive communication to the integrated multi-media situation we are in today. Concentration is on the fields of journalism, telecommunications, broadcasting, and computing. Emphasis is placed on the leaders of the areas and the political and cultural surroundings that encouraged or discouraged growth of the industry. It is true that technology is a driving force of this industry, but it has been the individual people (characters) impelled by discovery, acceptance and marketability of that technology who have taken the next step to improve communication. The Journalism field started with Gutenberg and early added Ben Franklin, later it got a little yellow with Hearst and Pulitzer. I think Henry Luce started the business of media integration, but Rupert Murdoch certainly keeps it going. The first practical use of electricity was found by Samuel Morse and his telegraph. Bell invented the telephone, or was it Meucci? Theodore Vail invented the Bell System. Broadcasting started with Marconis invention, or was it Teslas? David Sarnoff and William Paley made the medium practical and characters like Edwin R. Morrow, Walter Cronkite and even Oprah Winfrey gave it credibility. Certainly Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace had something to do with the start of computers, but later scientists Vannevar bush and Jon von Neumann added the electronics. Then UNIVAC convinced Thomas Watson Junior that IBM better start making them. Jobs and Wozniac started the personal computer business, but Bill Gates created the software to make them run. Tim Berners-Lee hooked those computers to a network and then Amazon, eBay, and Google found a way to make money using the result. This book is the story of these people and companies.

This book provides a unique view of the evolution of these industries, drawing out how technology and economic forces have worked together to create platforms around which different companies interact. Through identifying the key aspects of this evolution over the past decades, the author is able to put forward a unique view of the emerging industrial structure of the communications industries – the formation of an Information-Driven Global Commodity Chain, one that holds both incredible promise and challenges for our world.

The Second Edition of Health Industry Communication: New Media, New Methods, New Message is a thorough revision fills a critical gap in the literature for communications students as well as students of health administration and public health. Featuring best practices and case studies from notable practitioners, the chapters offer a 360-degree view of the world of health communications from a business and promotions outlook as well as a look at special topics that impact health communicators.