Technology: A Global Economic-Technology: A Global Economic-Social ForceSocial Force

The Explosive Force of Technology The Emergence of High-Technology Business Technology in Our Daily Lives Special Issue: The Digital Divide

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The explosive force of technologyThe explosive force of technology

Technology

The application of science, especially in industry or commerce.

Change is the dominant feature of technology Technology’s effects are widespread. Technology is self-reinforcing.

Phases in the development of technologyPhases in the development of technologyFigure 13.1

Technology Level

Phases in the Development of Technology

Approximate Period

Activity Primary Skill Used

1 Nomadic-agrarian

Until 1650 Harvesting Manual

2 Agrarian 1650-1900 Planting and harvesting

Manual

3 Industrial 1900-1960 Building material goods

Manual and machine

4 Service 1960-1975 Providing services

Manual and intellectual

5 Information 1975-today Thinking and designing

Intellectual and electronic

Factors fueling technological growthFactors fueling technological growth

Economic expansion and worker productivity During the 1990s, U.S. businesses poured more than $2 trillion into

computers, software, and other technology products. This helped sustain the economic boom that carried global business into the 21st century.

During the late 1990s, productivity grew at almost twice the rate of the previous two decades. Thus, businesses could afford more technology and workers were more adept at accepting technological improvements.

Research and development investment Private R & D budgets steadily increased in the late 1990s, but dropped in

recent years. The U.S. government annually provided more than $60 billion to support

technology-based research and development.

Technology and E-commerceTechnology and E-commerce

E-commerce

Business exchanges that consist of buying and selling goods electronically.

Web pages advertised businesses’ products and services over the Internet. Following the explosion of the Internet, e-commerce offered businesses a way

to raise new capital and reduce their costly overhead. Global financial markets were also revolutionized by the Internet by lowering

the cost of saving and borrowing for investors.

The top 10 global web portalsThe top 10 global web portalsFigure 13.2

Number of Visitors in March 2001 (in millions)

Time Spent per Person (minutes:seconds)

Yahoo! 111.8 57:31

AOL Time Warner 92.3 40:43

MSN 90.4 51:43

Lycos Network 64.4 23:12

Microsoft 63.3 9:19

Excite@Home 33.7 28:01

About the Human Internet 26.9 9:25

Walt Disney Internet Group 26.0 23:15

CNET Networks 22.9 11:22

NBC Internet 22.2 9:47

Surfing the global Internet waveSurfing the global Internet waveFigure 13.3

Country Number of Internet Sessions per Person

March 2001

Number of Sites Visited, March 2001

Time Spent Online during Month

(hours:minutes:seconds)

South Korea 24 28 16:51:39

Canada 21 21 10:14:44

United States 19 11 10:15:23

Hong Kong 17 25 11:36:31

Germany 15 25 8:51:07

France 13 18 7:12:29

Netherlands 11 23 6:55:16

Norway 11 18 5:48:50

Denmark 9 19 5:15:11

New Zealand 9 18 6:08:35

Technology in our daily livesTechnology in our daily lives

The Internet

A global electronic communications network linking individuals and organizations.

M-commerce

Commerce conducted via mobile or cellular telephones. Broadband access

Refers to an Internet connection that permits high-speed data transfer. Technology and education Medical information via the Internet

Significant developments in the evolution of Significant developments in the evolution of the computerthe computer

1977 Apple II is introduced to consumers.

1981 IBM PC is introduced to consumers.

1984 Apple Macintosh introduces consumers to the mouse and graphical user interface.

1994 Commercial users go online and the World Wide Web is born.

Figure 13.4a

Source: See “The Course of Change,” The Wall Street Journal, November 16, 1998, p.R4.

Significant predictions in the evolution of the Significant predictions in the evolution of the computercomputer

2001 Satellite network revolutionizes high-speed data communications around the world.

2003 Voice recognition is incorporated into handheld personal computer technology.

2005 Access to the Internet is available to all in developed countries.

2007 Internet sales account for all business-to-business transactions and 25 percent of all retail sales.

2008 Telephones provide translations, making cross-language communication easier.

2008 Electronic cash arrives, making handheld currency obsolete.

2010 Supercomputers perform as many calculations as the human brain.

Figure 13.4b

Source: See “The Course of Change,” The Wall Street Journal, November 16, 1998, p.R4.

The power of the Internet for learningThe power of the Internet for learning

Key recommendations from Congressional report: Make powerful new Internet resources widely and equitably available and

affordable for all learners. Build a new research framework of how people learn in the Internet age. Revise outdated regulations that impede innovation and replace them with

approaches that embrace anytime, anywhere, any pace learning. Protect online learners and ensure their privacy. Sustain funding that is adequate to the challenge at hand.