This book is a well combined and connected series of essays on the roles of research, development, engineering, production and marketing of future high-technology industries. Professor Kao presents a product-centered model for business success in the creation of new markets. He argues that technology offers mankind an over-abundance of choices and opportunities, thus altering fundamental decision-making processes in high-technology businesses.


The author first traces the unique development of key technologies for our information age. Transistors, ICs and optoelectronic devices are described as responsible for revolutionizing our ability to collect, store, process and transport information. He then discusses the need and the emergence of an information-service industry. Later chapters of the book demonstrate the importance of new working relationships and, in particular, new common understanding between scientists, engineers, managers and entrepreneurs. They operate in a highly competitive environment in which market-tailoring must be the major factor that governs the entire time-table of development, production and distribution of the product. The final chapters of the book point out that science and technology offer mankind great opportunities for using and sharing the world's resources to provide for the material needs and desires of people all over the world.