Strategic Economics of Network Industries

This text will be of interest to policy-makers, industry consultants and students of industrial economics and management alike who feel attracted and pay attention to strategic and structural elements of network economies. The book is also designed as a text for a course in business strategy and a supplementary text for industrial organisation. In contrast to strategy texts that tend to do a comprehensive covering of descriptive material, the author identifies and focuses on specific issues that offer analytical insights and have applications in industry analysis. The selection of the material springs from academic and consultancy work in ICT related network industries. The central theme is the interplay of competition and cooperation along vertical and horizontal industry lines. This forms the core base of business strategy relating to the growth of business and complementary activities through innovation, mergers and related strategic choices. Coverage includes: 1. High Speed Technology Competition (HSTC), 2. Vertical Competition and Outsourcing in a Supply Chain (VCOSC) 3. Supply-Chain Coopetition (SCOOP), 4. Co-operative R&D, Collusion and High Tech Competition (COOP) 5. R&D Cooperation with Product Differentiation (TCRDCOOP), 6. Competition in Network Markets (CNM), 7. Open Source Technologies (OST), 8. Increasing Returns Mechanism (IRM), 9. Internet Competition (IC).