Winning the Hardware-Software Game: Using Game Theory to Optimize the Pace of New Technology Adoption (Paperback)

 “Many books discuss high-tech decision making, but this is the only book I know of that provides a systematic approach based on objective analysis.”

–Matthew Scarpino, author of Programming the Cell Processor

“This book offers a unique approach to analyzing business strategy that changes the focus and attitude to a lively and fun exercise of treating business strategy as a game.”

–Dave Hendricksen, Architect, Thomson-Reuters

USE GAME THEORY TO SOLVE THE #1 PROBLEM THAT CAUSES NEW TECHNOLOGIES TO FAIL IN THE MARKETPLACE: LACK OF COORDINATION

Too many advanced technologies fail the test of adoption, at immense cost to their creators and investors. Why? Many new technologies are launched into complex ecosystems where hardware, software, and/or connectivity components must work together–for instance, next-generation gaming and video platforms that can only succeed if they offer attractive, compatible content. Often, users aren’t ready to give up existing systems, and content or connectivity providers aren’t ready to move away from existing markets. In either case, the real issue is a lack of coordination. Fortunately, coordination problems have specific, proven solutions, and Winning the Hardware—Software Game shows you exactly how to find them.

Drawing on advanced ideas from game theory, economics, sociology, and business strategy, author Ruth D. Fisher presents a systematic framework for identifying, assessing, and resolving coordination problems among all the participants in a product ecosystem. Writing in plain, nontechnical, nonmathematical English, Dr. Fisher helps you discover specific steps that will prepare your customers and partners for successful adoption. Using these techniques, you can shape strategy, systematically reduce risk, and dramatically increase profitability.

Topics covered in this book include:

• Discovering the forces that drive or delay adoption by users and content providers
• Understanding networks, network effects, switching costs, technology compatibility, and other crucial issues
• Speeding the pace of adoption, and getting to the “tipping point” sooner
• Clarifying and restructuring the incentives that motivate users and software providers
• Engineering new systems to maximize the likelihood of adoption
• Creating expectations of adoption and decreasing the relative value of older systems
• Learning from Apple Newton versus Palm Pilot, HD DVD versus Blu-Ray, and other
  significant technology battles
• Leveraging lock-in, path dependence, standardization, and first-mover advantage

With so much at stake, Winning the Hardware—Software Game is a required resource for everyone concerned with new technology adoption–executives, strategists, R&D leaders, marketers, product managers, industry analysts, and investors alike.

「許多書籍討論高科技決策，但這是我所知唯一提供基於客觀分析的系統化方法的書籍。」- Matthew Scarpino，《Programming the Cell Processor》作者。

「這本書提供了一種獨特的方法來分析商業策略，改變了對待商業策略的焦點和態度，將其視為一種有趣的遊戲。」- Dave Hendricksen，Thomson-Reuters架構師。

使用博弈論解決導致新技術在市場上失敗的頭號問題：協調不足。

太多先進技術未能通過採用測試，給其創造者和投資者帶來巨大的成本。為什麼？許多新技術被推出到複雜的生態系統中，其中硬體、軟體和/或連接組件必須共同運作-例如，下一代遊戲和視頻平台只有在提供有吸引力且相容的內容時才能成功。通常，用戶不準備放棄現有系統，而內容或連接提供者也不準備離開現有市場。無論哪種情況，真正的問題是協調不足。幸運的是，協調問題有具體、經過驗證的解決方案，《Winning the Hardware—Software Game》將向您展示如何找到這些解決方案。

作者Ruth D. Fisher借鑒了博弈論、經濟學、社會學和商業策略的先進理念，提出了一個系統性框架，用於識別、評估和解決產品生態系統中所有參與者之間的協調問題。Fisher博士以平易近人、非技術性、非數學性的英語寫作，幫助您發現具體的步驟，為您的客戶和合作夥伴成功採用技術做好準備。使用這些技巧，您可以制定策略，系統性地降低風險，大幅提高利潤。

本書涵蓋的主題包括：
- 發現推動或延遲用戶和內容提供者採用的力量
- 了解網絡、網絡效應、轉換成本、技術相容性和其他關鍵問題
- 加快採用速度，更早達到「臨界點」
- 澄清和重組激勵用戶和軟體提供者的機制
- 設計新系統以最大程度地增加採用的可能性
- 創造採用的期望，降低舊系統的相對價值
- 從蘋果牛頓對比Palm Pilot、HD DVD對比Blu-Ray等重大技術競爭中學習
- 利用鎖定效應、路徑依賴性、標準化和先行者優勢

在這樣的情況下，《Winning the Hardware—Software Game》是所有關心新技術採用的人士的必備資源-執行官、策略師、研發領導者、營銷人員、產品經理、行業分析師和投資者。