Harnessing the power of software platforms: what executives and entrepreneurs must know about how to use this technology to transform industries and how to develop the strategies that will create value and drive profits. Software platforms are the invisible engines that have created, touched, or transformed nearly every major industry for the past quarter century. They power everything from mobile phones and automobile navigation systems to search engines and web portals. They have been the source of enormous value to consumers and helped some entrepreneurs build great fortunes. And they are likely to drive change that will dwarf the business and technology revolution we have seen to this point. Invisible Engines examines the business dynamics and strategies used by firms that recognize the transformative power unleashed by this new revolution—a revolution that will change both new and old industries. The authors argue that in order to understand the successes of software platforms, we must first understand their role as a technological meeting ground where application developers and end users converge. Apple, Microsoft, and Google, for example, charge developers little or nothing for using their platforms and make most of their money from end users; Sony PlayStation and other game consoles, by contrast, subsidize users and make more money from developers, who pay royalties for access to the code they need to write games. More applications attract more users, and more users attract more applications. And more applications and more users lead to more profits. Invisible Engines explores this story through the lens of the companies that have mastered this platform-balancing act. It offers detailed studies of the personal computer, video game console, personal digital assistant, smart mobile phone, and digital media software platform industries, focusing on the business decisions made by industry players to drive profits and stay a step ahead of the competition. Shorter discussions of Internet-based software platforms provide an important glimpse into a future in which the way we buy, pay, watch, listen, learn, and communicate will change forever. An electronic version of this book is available under a Creative Commons license.

Harnessing the power of software platforms: what executives and entrepreneurs must know about how to use this technology to transform industries and how to develop the strategies that will create value and drive profits. Software platforms are the invisible engines that have created, touched, or transformed nearly every major industry for the past quarter century. They power everything from mobile phones and automobile navigation systems to search engines and web portals. They have been the source of enormous value to consumers and helped some entrepreneurs build great fortunes. And they are likely to drive change that will dwarf the business and technology revolution we have seen to this point. Invisible Engines examines the business dynamics and strategies used by firms that recognize the transformative power unleashed by this new revolution—a revolution that will change both new and old industries. The authors argue that in order to understand the successes of software platforms, we must first understand their role as a technological meeting ground where application developers and end users converge. Apple, Microsoft, and Google, for example, charge developers little or nothing for using their platforms and make most of their money from end users; Sony PlayStation and other game consoles, by contrast, subsidize users and make more money from developers, who pay royalties for access to the code they need to write games. More applications attract more users, and more users attract more applications. And more applications and more users lead to more profits. Invisible Engines explores this story through the lens of the companies that have mastered this platform-balancing act. It offers detailed studies of the personal computer, video game console, personal digital assistant, smart mobile phone, and digital media software platform industries, focusing on the business decisions made by industry players to drive profits and stay a step ahead of the competition. Shorter discussions of Internet-based software platforms provide an important glimpse into a future in which the way we buy, pay, watch, listen, learn, and communicate will change forever. An electronic version of this book is available under a Creative Commons license.

Invisible Search and Online Search Engines considers the use of search engines in contemporary everyday life and the challenges this poses for media and information literacy. Looking for mediated information is mostly done online and arbitrated by the various tools and devices that people carry with them on a daily basis. Because of this, search engines have a significant impact on the structure of our lives, and personal and public memories. Haider and Sundin consider what this means for society, whilst also uniting research on information retrieval with research on how people actually look for and encounter information. Search engines are now one of society’s key infrastructures for knowing and becoming informed. While their use is dispersed across myriads of social practices, where they have acquired close to naturalised positions, they are commercially and technically centralised. Arguing that search, searching, and search engines have become so widely used that we have stopped noticing them, Haider and Sundin consider what it means to be so reliant on this all-encompassing and increasingly invisible information infrastructure. Invisible Search and Online Search Engines is the first book to approach search and search engines from a perspective that combines insights from the technical expertise of information science research with a social science and humanities approach. As such, the book should be essential reading for academics, researchers, and students working on and studying information science, library and information science (LIS), media studies, journalism, digital cultures, and educational sciences.

Finding content on the Internet which isn't located through more conventional means, such as search engines.

Google is certainly a useful Internet search tool for general topics, but most of the information available on the Invisible Web can't be found through Google. This book explains the value of the Invisible Web and how to access it. Most students and researchers possess only rudimentary Internet searching skills. The majority of school and public librarians are not aware of the breadth and depth of information available on the Hidden Web. This is unfortunate, as the ability to navigate the Hidden Web in schools and public libraries is essential to locating the most current and authoritative information. The Hidden Web: A Sourcebook serves as a valuable source of information about the Hidden Web, much of which comprises websites containing statistical information or data from a wide variety of government agencies. The concepts, search techniques, and specific websites presented will be helpful in information literacy instruction and the teaching of research skills.

Marketers are harnessing the enormous power of AI to drive unprecedented results The world of marketing is undergoing major change. Sophisticated algorithms can test billions of marketing messages and measure results, and shift the weight of campaigns—all in real time. What’s next? A complete transformation of marketing as we know it, where machines themselves design and implement customized advertising tactics at virtually every point of digital contact.The Invisible Brand provides an in-depth exploration of the risks and rewards of this epochal shift—while delivering the information and insight you need to stay ahead of the game. Renowned technologist William Ammerman draws from his decades of experience at the forefront of digital marketing to provide a roadmap to our data-driven future. You’ll learn how data and AI will forge a new level of persuasiveness and influence for reshaping consumers’ buying decisions. You’ll understand the technology behind these changes and see how it is already at work in digital assistants, recommendation engines and digital advertising. And you’ll find unmatched insight into how to harness the power of artificial intelligence for maximum results.As we enter the age of mass customization of messaging, power and influence will go to those who know the consumer best. Whether you are a marketing executive or concerned citizen, The Invisible Brand provides everything you need to understand how brands are harnessing the extraordinary amounts of data at their disposal—and capitalizing on it with AI.