Blackwell Reference Online

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Comment on this article   The networked information infrastructure that blends computing and communications is the largest construction project in human history. During the last two decades advances in information and communication technology (ICT) and an accompanying revolution in logistics (e.g., the advent of containerization) fundamentally reshaped the global economy. The production and the distribution of goods changed fundamentally as complex global supply chains changed where and how the world undertook these functions. The services supporting and complementing the “goods” economy, ranging from research and design through finance and logistics, became the dominant share of the world's output, and all these activities grew markedly more global, more information intensive, and more communications intensive. These upheavals resulted in a significant increase in the world's productivity and wealth ( Mann and Rosen 2002 ; Mann 2006 ; Levinson 2006 ). They also transformed important aspects of the conduct of international relations. This essay is divided into five distinct sections. This section reviews the major trends in information and communication technology that are transforming the commercial and technology landscape. The second section argues that the United States will continue to serve as the “demandeur” in international high technology policy for the next two decades. ... log in or subscribe to read full text