ECE 507

Emerging Technologies
Susan W. Hall, PhD
shall10@gmu.edu
susan.hall@njvc.com


Agenda Session 1
Introductions
Course Description
Informal Student Survey
Identifying Technologies of Interest
Topics for Discussion
Managing Emerging Technologies
A Different Game
The Three Worlds of IT

Introductions
Susan W. Hall

George Mason, BA, Geography
George Washington, MS, Information Management
George Washington, PhD, Engineering Management, Systems
Engineering

Department of Defense/Intelligence Community
Defense Mapping Agency
National Imagery and Mapping Agency
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
Department of Homeland Security

Private Sector
L1 Identity Solutions, Vice President, Business Development
NJVC, Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Development
Introductions
Students
Name
Education
Work Background
Emerging Technology Interests
Speaker Expectations

Course Description
Lectures, readings, case studies introducing
concepts of IT systems, technology insertion,
technology management.
Discussion of governmental and societal
influences on technology emergence.
Discussion of near, mid, and long term
technologies.
Extensive student participation.
Grading Policy

15% Test
40% Final report
45% Class participation (includes
attendance and discussion)
Reports Overview
Final presentations

Individual or Group presentations
How a new technology was identified, developed, implemented
Must incorporate some of the ideas discussed on technology emergence,
speciation, lack of willingness to take risk, or taking-on too much risk.
Should address technology alternatives and why they were not selected. Discuss
possible future of the technology and leadership requirements.
Include additional information discussed in class, for instance on government or
societal influences on research leading to market.
Definitions
Information technology (IT), as defined by the Information
Technology Association of America (ITAA):
"the study, design, development, implementation, support or
management of computer-based information systems, particularly
software applications and computer hardware

Emerging technologies is a general term used to denote:
Significant technological developments that broach new territory in
some significant way in their field.
Knowledge base is expanding
Innovative application to existing markets




Introduction to Emerging Technologies
2013 Top Technology Priorities:

Securing the IT environment
Managing and retaining data
Managing risk and compliance
Ensuring privacy
Leveraging emerging technologies
Managing system implementation
Enabling decision support and managing performance
Governing and managing IT investment/spending
Preventing and responding to fraud
Managing vendors and service providers
Introduction to Emerging Technologies
Top 10 CIO Business and Technology Priorities in 2013

Increasing enterprise growth
Analytics and business intelligence
Attracting and retaining new customers
Mobile technologies
Reducing enterprise costs
Cloud computing (SaaS, IaaS, PaaS)
Creating new products and services (innovation)
Collaboration technologies (workflow)
Delivering operational results
Virtualization
Improving efficiency
Legacy Modernization
Improving profitability (margins)
IT Management
Attracting and retaining the workforce
CRM
Improving marketing and sales effectiveness
ERP Applications
Expanding into new markets and geographies
Security

Source: Gartner Executive Programs (January 2012)
Introduction to Emerging Technologies
Suggested topics for presentations:

Social and Digital Media Consumerization
Web Services
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUCfFcchw1w

Consumerization
Virtualization
IT Repurposing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TN7-8PDeWCk

Mega Trends in IT we are in the 4
th
wave of IT Ubiquitous Computing
Dynamic Engagement not just transaction based
Dynamic Enterprise always on and connected
Dynamic Resourcing - everything as a service
Dynamic Analytics Big Data
Dynamic Automation drives optimization
Dynamic Security seamless, integrated, pervasive
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGzye0yGKgA&feature=related

MIT Emerging Technology
http://www2.technologyreview.com/tr10/

Introduction to Emerging Technologies
Suggested topics for presentations cont.:

Introduction to Emerging Technologies
Wharton School purpose of the book:
Examines management challenges posed by
emerging technologies
Looks at priority issues of emerging technology
management:
Evaluation of emerging technologies
Designing and managing alliances
Strategies for participating in emerging technologies
Developing products for new markets
Designing organizations to compete
Managing intellectual property
Evolution of emerging technology-based industry

Introduction to Emerging Technologies
Organization of the book:
Part I looks at technology development, frameworks
for evaluating technologies, and the role of govt in
emerging technologies
Part II looks at markets for new technologies
Part III discusses strategy making for emerging
technologies
Part IV reviews internal and external financing and
investment approaches
Part V discusses reshaping organizations

Introduction to Emerging Technologies
A Different Game:
Industry is being transformed
The knowledge base is expanding
Application to existing markets is undergoing
innovation
New markets are being created

Three challenges for success:
Coping with great uncertainty and complexity
Keeping up with accelerating change
Developing new competencies

Introduction to Emerging Technologies
Need for New Management Approach:
Different Rules
New Tools
Shift in Thinking
Need to engage in the following practices:
More fluid organizational context
More robust and adaptive strategy making
Staged resource allocation
Market exploration
Adaptive technology development

Introduction to Emerging Technologies
Playing the Game:
Some technologies succeed and some fail
Palm Pilot vs Apples Newton PDA
Key lessons learned:
Incumbents can be at a disadvantage
Knowledge assets outweigh physical assets
Understand how customers use the technology
Learn from experiments
Dont go for the big market all at once
Understand the role of government
Use partners
Use flexible planning
Employ new strategies for financial assessment

Need the right technology at the right time
Introduction to Emerging Technologies
Living with Paradox:
Managers of emerging technology need to become more
comfortable with high levels of complexity and paradox:
Have a strong commitment but keep your options open
Winners are often pioneers, but most pioneers fail
Strategies should build on existing competencies but
organizational separation is often required for success
Competition is intense and brutal, yet winning requires
collaboration


There is always an easy solution to every human problem-neat,
plausible and wrong.
CASE STUDY
Mastering the Three Worlds of
Information Technology
The Three Worlds of IT
IT spending per employee increased 240%, 1987-2004
Abundant and rapidly growing list of technologies
Failures and catastrophes
Managers ignore at their peril instead they must help
select technology, support adoption and ensure use
IT is latest in series of General Purpose Technologies
(electric power, transistor, laser)
Crucially GPTs deliver greater benefits as people invent or
develop complements
IT is somewhat unique
Some can deliver results without complements
Others allow complements to emerge
Others impose everything all at once

Three Categories of IT
Function IT
Ducati
Enhanced capacity to experiment
Increased precision
Network IT
Dresdner, Kleinwort, Wasserstein
Facilitate collaboration
Allow expressions of judgement
Foster emergence
STRATCOM, Cheyenne Mountain
Enterprise IT
CVS
Redesigning business processes
Standardizing workflows
Monitoring activities and events
Managing the Three Types
Selection
Everyone else is doing it!
$130B spent on IT that was never used
Must focus first on the business case and need
Adoption
FIT managers must find ways to complement
NIT Set norms for participation
EIT Managers must dictate


Managers must know when to pull the plug