Abstract
During unfavourable economic conditions, technological innovation is one of
the first investments to suffer. However, as history has shown, ignoring
technological innovation and development can leave organisations, and indeed
entire industries, vulnerable to disruption from new technologies. This report
explains what disruption is, what causes it, and how organisations can avoid
it.
The motor car, mobile phones, personal computers, and so on, are all examples
of disruptive technologies. There are numerous examples throughout modern
business history of disruptive technologies appearing, apparently from
nowhere, to threaten and ultimately displace existing technologies and the
industries and vendors that grew up around them - such as the mainframe
industry, communications and storage.
But disruption is rarely a consequence of technology innovation alone, rather
a reflection of how existing organizations and markets deal with it. While
disruptive innovation can be seen as a threat, it is also an opportunity, and
indeed a necessity in the rapidly evolving world of IT and business technology.
Modern history suggests that accurate prediction of disruptive technologies is
challenging, however a look at past examples can reveal important
characteristics and similarities between disruptive technologies. This report
aims to provide insight into the patterns and characteristics of potentially
disruptive technologies and innovation trends, and provide ways of assessing
vulnerability to disruption. As a result, organizations can use this insight
to understood how best to avoid the threat of disruption.
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