Global Competition Between and Within Standards

Managing technology and globalization are two of the main concerns facing companies today. Jeffry l. Funk argues that the success of firms such as Ericsson and Nokia is a function of how they have managed these two areas simultaneously. In this book, the author considers the reasons behind the successful establishment of particular mobile infrastructures and phones as global standards, and examines the reasons why others have so far failed. After summarising the development of the global mobile communications industry to date, the author uses a unique hybrid model to examine competition within global standards in terms of both markets and committees. He finds that the relative importance of committees and markets depends on a combination of the degree of openness in the standard and on the degree of product complexity. Based on interviews with over 20 US, European and Japanese firms associated with mobile communications, this book highlights the factors that will determine the market leaders in third-generation mobile communications systems and phones, and shows how other high technology industries can benefit from the strategies uncovered.