Information, Technology - by John M Jordan (Hardcover)

About the Book

"A big-picture look at how the latest trends in information management and technology are impacting business models and innovation worldwide. With all of the recent emphasis on "big data," analytics and visualization, and emerging technology architectures such as smartphone networks, social media, and cloud computing, the way we do business is undergoing rapid change. The right business model can create overnight sensations--think of Groupon, the iPad, or Facebook. At the same time, alternative models for organizing resources such as home schooling, Linux, or Kenya's Ushihidi tool transcend conventional business designs. Timely and visionary, Information, Technology, and the Future of Commerce looks at how the latest technology trends and their impact on human behavior are impacting business practices from recruitment through marketing, supply chains, and customer service. Discusses information economics, human behavior, technology platforms, and other facts of contemporary life Examines how humans organize resources and do work in the changing landscape Provides case studies profiling how competitive advantage can be a direct result of innovative business models that exploit these trends Revealing why traditional strategy formulation is challenged by the realities of the connected world, Information, Technology, and the Future of Commerce ties technology to business and social environments in an approachable, informed manner with innovative, big-picture analysis of what's taking place now in information strategy and technology"--

Book Synopsis

A big-picture look at how the latest trends in information management and technology are impacting business models and innovation worldwide

With all of the recent emphasis on "big data," analytics and visualization, and emerging technology architectures such as smartphone networks, social media, and cloud computing, the way we do business is undergoing rapid change. The right business model can create overnight sensations--think of Groupon, the iPad, or Facebook. At the same time, alternative models for organizing resources such as home schooling, Linux, or Kenya's Ushihidi tool transcend conventional business designs. Timely and visionary, Information, Technology, and the Future of Commerce looks at how the latest technology trends and their impact on human behavior are impacting business practices from recruitment through marketing, supply chains, and customer service.

• Discusses information economics, human behavior, technology platforms, and other facts of contemporary life
• Examines how humans organize resources and do work in the changing landscape
• Provides case studies profiling how competitive advantage can be a direct result of innovative business models that exploit these trends

Revealing why traditional strategy formulation is challenged by the realities of the connected world, Information, Technology, and the Future of Commerce ties technology to business and social environments in an approachable, informed manner with innovative, big-picture analysis of what's taking place now in information strategy and technology.

From the Back Cover

Information, Technology, and Innovation
Resources for Growth in a Connected World

Incredibly rapid innovation is a hallmark of our time. The social media discount site Groupon went from revenues of $33 million in 2009 to $760 million in 2010. Facebook has crossed 800 million users since its launch in a dorm room seven years ago. Kiva--the online lending platform--funded $200 million in microloans to people around the world in less than six years. While these types of organizations and achievements were inconceivable only a decade ago, many other corporate giants have either lost their competitive foothold or completely closed shop. Information, Technology, and Innovation provides you with the tools and knowledge to survive the shifting sands of today's rapidly changing business models.

Author and IT strategist John Jordan examines basic principles underlying technology, management, and economics to show how rapid innovation is reinventing competition in today's fast-paced global marketplace. Addressing the many ways in which IT has drastically altered the business landscape over the past forty years--the personal computer, the Internet, GPS, cell phones, and smartphones--Information, Technology, and Innovation reviews the consequences of our technological revolution and shows how to move forward by incorporating these traits into new innovations.

By examining several recently displaced industries, Information, Technology, and Innovation reveals a variety of ways that technology innovation can translate into a mix of threats to established patterns of business behavior, as well as opportunities, including:

• The Music Industry: How at least a dozen changes to the music industry business model--including MTV and the surge of mega-retailers--helped set the stage for the disruptive threat from Napster
• Newspapers: Was Google the sole culprit in the demise of news readership and will the increase of tablet users help re-energize the business?
• Health Care: How Wal-Mart, CVS, and Walgreens are placing clinics in selected pharmacies to address routine matters that would often otherwise require an emergency room visit

Information, Technology, and Innovation also discusses the various technologies you can use as building blocks to move your business forward and concludes with five broad areas of rapid change in the foreseeable future.

The ways people behave, relate to each other, and organize themselves to work are changing at warp speed. Information, Technology, and Innovation shows you how to make sense of today's rapid changes by moving beyond a mindset of optimization. Instead, the wealth of technological and organizational changes is the starting point for tomorrow's business transformations.

About the Author

JOHN M. JORDAN is a clinical professor in the Department of Supply Chain and Information Systems at the Smeal College of Business, Penn State University, where he teaches IT strategy to undergraduates, MBAs, and executives. His research focuses on emerging technologies and their impact on business strategy, design, and practice.