We have all gotten used to spectacular innovation breakthroughs over the last decades, especially in the field of information and communication technologies. We have also come to appreciate what seems like a continuous stream of incremental innovation coming to our information processing tools in the form of updates and point releases. The Internet is a most effective and efficient distribution mechanism for such incremental change. But is the Internet also facilitating radical innovation?
Not necessarily, as I+I Centre director Viktor Mayer-Schönberger has argued in a recent paper. He suggests that successful commercial vendors are held back by the desire to keep loyal a growing user base that is reluctant vis-a-vis radical changes. That is why Microsoft can't fundamentally rethink Word, even if it wanted to - hundreds of millions of users would likely revolt, or at least see this as an opportunity to consider alternatives. more >>
