The global course of the information revolution : : recurring themes and regional variations / / Richard O. Hundley ... [et al.].

• Author: Rand Corporation.
• TeilnehmendeR: Hundley, Richard O.; Rand Corporation.
• Year of Publication: 2003
• Edition: 1st ed.
• Language: English
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (xliv, 174 pages) :; illustrations
• Notes: "MR-1680-NIC"--Rear Cover.; "Prepared for the National Intelligence Research Council."

Advances in information technology are heavily influencing ways in which business, society, and government work and function throughout the globe, bringing many changes to everyday life, in a process commonly termed the ""information revolution."" This book paints a picture of the state of the information revolution today and how it will likely progress in the near- to mid-term future (10 to 15 years), focusing separately on different regions of the world-North America, Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, Latin America, the Middle East and North Africa, and sub-Saharan Africa.

Table of Contents

Cover; PREFACE; CONTENTS; FIGURES; TABLES; SUMMARY; ACKNOWLEDGMENTS; ABBREVIATIONS; Chapter One INTRODUCTION; WE ADDRESSED A WIDE RANGE OF QUESTIONS; GLOBALIZATION AND THE INFORMATION REVOLUTION ARE CLOSELY LINKED; SOME TOPICS WE DID NOT ADDRESS-DELIBERATELY; THE COURSE OF THIS EFFORT; THIS REPORT; MUCH HAS HAPPENED SINCE WE BEGAN THIS EFFORT; NOTES; PART I. RECURRING THEMES; Chapter Two NEW TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENTS WILL CONTINUALLY DRIVE THE INFORMATION REVOLUTION; IT IS USEFUL TO DISTINGUISH AMONG DEVELOPMENTS IN TECHNOLOGY, PRODUCTS, AND SERVICES

SOME TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENTS CAN BE FORESEEN PRODUCT DEVELOPMENTS WILL ALLOW INFORMATION DEVICES TO BE UBIQUITOUS, WEARABLE, AND IN CONTINUOUS CONTACT; SERVICES DEVELOPMENTS WILL GREATLY EXTEND ACCESS TO, AND THE USEFULNESS OF, INFORMATION SYSTEMS; MARKETS WILL DECIDE WHAT POSSIBLE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES BECOME ACTUAL AND WIDESPREAD; SOME TENSIONS ARISING FROM THESE DEVELOPMENTS WILL AFFECT THE GROWTH AND SPREAD OF IT-RELATED PRODUCTS AND SERVICES; A PERIOD OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CONSOLIDATION IS BOTH LIKELY AND HEALTHY; NOTES

Chapter Three THE INFORMATION REVOLUTION IS ENABLING NEW BUSINESS MODELS THAT ARE TRANSFORMING THE BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL WORLDS MANY NEW BUSINESS MODELS ARE ARISING; NOTES; Chapter Four THE INFORMATION REVOLUTION IS AFFECTING MECHANISMS OF GOVERNANCE AND EMPOWERING NEW POLITICAL ACTORS; SOME TRADITIONAL MECHANISMS OF GOVERNANCE ARE BECOMING PROBLEMATIC; NEW GOVERNMENTAL MECHANISMS ARE BEING ENABLED; NEW POLITICAL ACTORS ARE BEING EMPOWERED; THE INFORMATION REVOLUTION COULD OVER TIME CHANGE THE ROLE OF THE NATION-STATE: THE JURY IS STILL OUT

DIFFERENT NATIONS WILL TAKE DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO DEALING WITH THESE CHANGES THE EVENTS OF 9/11 MAY LEAD TO INCREASED GOVERNMENTAL INTERVENTION INTO IT DEVELOPMENTS; NOTES; Chapter Five THE INFORMATION REVOLUTION BOTH SHAPES AND IS SHAPED BY SOCIAL AND CULTURAL VALUES IN SIGNIFICANT WAYS; THE INFORMATION REVOLUTION IS BEING ENABLED BY TECHNOLOGY BUT DRIVEN PRIMARILY BY NONTECHNICAL FACTORS, INCLUDING SOCIAL AND CULTURAL FACTORS; DIGITAL DIVIDES WITHIN AND BETWEEN NATIONS WILL PERSIST, BUT THEIR FUTURE SCOPE, DURATION, AND SIGNIFICANCE ARE SUBJECT TO DEBATE

ABILITY TO ACQUIRE AND USE KNOWLEDGE WILL BE CRITICAL FOR SUCCESS IN THE INFORMATION SOCIETY: DEVELOPING HUMAN CAPITAL APPROPRIATELY IS KEY GLOBALIZATION, BOOSTED BY THE INFORMATION REVOLUTION, WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE MULTI-VALENCED SOCIAL AND CULTURAL EFFECTS; WILL IT-ENABLED GLOBALIZATION LEAD TO GREATER HOMOGENEITY OR GREATER HETEROGENEITY IN SOCIOCULTURAL TERMS? THE ANSWER IS "YES" TO BOTH; THE INFORMATION REVOLUTION RAISES SIGNIFICANT SOCIAL-CULTURAL QUESTIONS FOR WHICH WELL GROUNDED RESEARCH ANSWERS ARE UNAVAILABLE; NOTES; Chapter Six MANY FACTORS SHAPE AND CHARACTERIZE A NATION'S APPROACH TO THE INFORMATION REVOLUTION