Management of Convergence in Innovation : Strategies and Capabilities for Value Creation Beyond Blurring Industry Boundaries

Driven by the fascination about dramatic structural and competitive changes within telecommunication and information technology in dustries during the past decade, the convergence phenomenon has increasingly gained my personal attention throughout my work and studies. Therefore, not entirely coincidentally, this book was written as the result of my doctoral research at ETH Zurich, which turned out to be a challenging, yet highly rewarding endeavor. However, this work would not have been possible without the enduring support of several people. First, I would like to express my gratitude to my thesis supervisor Prof. Fritz Fahrni, for providing me with the opportunity to conduct exciting research projects in close collaboration with industry, and for supporting me with solid guidance and advice all the way. Also, I would like to thank Dr. Christian Marxt, for urging me to pursue the chosen line of enquiry, as well as for his devoted coaching, both at ETH and at Stanford, both within and beyond of?ce hours. Furthermore, I am grateful to Prof. Georg von Krogh, for his encouraging feedback and valuable comments during various inspiring discussions.

Throughout the past decade, the phenomenon of technological convergence has increasingly gained managerial attention. In this special form of technological change, the coming-together of previously distinct knowledge bases gives rise to the creation of new applications and business models. When such innovations emerge at the intersection of industries, the resulting creative destruction may exceed previously established industry boundaries. As a consequence, convergence does not only promise the creation of new value, but may imply significant disruptions to established industries. Based on investigating 26 firms within the ICT industry, this book highlights implications of the convergence phenomenon on firms’ innovation management practices, and derives strategic guidelines for building and sustaining business models beyond blurring industry boundaries.

"The book is very insightful with a number of eye-opening examples... and executives in this industry will gain a lot of highly valuable advice for their development of new business models."
Georg von Krogh, Professor of Strategic Management and Innovation, ETH Zürich

"...this book forces the reader to reconsider our thinking about the roles of industry and technology in innovation."
Gary Clayton, Vice President Speech Applications, Yahoo! Inc.

"This work provides deep insights on how to navigate through the process of convergence, and offers instrumental guidance"
Arup Gupta, Director Wireless Platform Technologies, Ultra Mobile Group, Intel Corp.

"...various analytical frameworks presented in this book provide a comprehensive basis for managerial decision-making."
Ari Backholm, Vice President Marketing & Product Management, Seven Networks Inc.

"This insightful and far-reaching study ... advances our collective understanding of convergence in innovation"
Mark Yolton, VicePresident, SAP Community Network, SAP Labs, LLC