Abstract:

Developing innovative applications for existing data sources and techniques is the hallmark of good research organizations. Researchers and strategists optimize their investment in data and methodological expertise when they effectively repurpose their resources. Combining two very different data sources can result in an effective method of understanding the strategic implications of technology diffusion patterns in a rapidly changing IT market. In particular, the proposed methodology offers a relatively simple way of identifying the timing and relative magnitude of technology adoption at the early stages of the diffusion process. The paper addresses one of the information challenges facing organizations competing in markets highly susceptible to rapid change, brought on by the introduction of new technologies. Examining Intel's approach to the complex task of identifying emerging innovations and subsequent diffusion patterns across multiple technologies provides important insights for strategic and tactical decision-making. The methodologies and data utilization practices discussed demonstrate how business intelligence managers and market researchers can integrate insights from disparate sources into a coherent research design.