Dual-SIM Phones

Dual-SIM mobile phones utilize technology that permits the use of two SIMs at a time. The technology permits simultaneous access to the mobile network services. Its disruptive nature is with reference to the mobile phone market in Nigeria and other parts of the world. Earlier market trend was inclination to “newer” and “better” phones, in favour of established single-SIM mobile phone manufacturers like Nokia and Samsung. Introduction of dual-SIM phones mainly manufactured by Chinese mobile phone manufacturing firms propelled user preference for phones acquisition which permits dual and simultaneous access to mobile network. This technology has compelled its adoption by established manufacturing names in order that they may remain competitive. It is a clear case of a disruptive technology, and this chapter focuses on it need, effects, and disruptive nature.

VoIP vs GSM Technology

This chapter presents VoIP as a disruptive technology to GSM technology as well as the issues, controversies, and problems surrounding its deployment. It gives a general introduction of the evolution of communication systems from the POTS, to GSM, and now VoIP. Several issues that surround the deployment of VoIP such as provision of PSTN equivalent services by VoIP service providers, regulation of the service, introduction of latency and other counter measures by some operators, threat posed to PSTN providers due to emergence of VoIP, the need for technical standardization of VoIP, security issues, different cost structure, and quality of service provided were also discussed in details. Solutions and recommendations were suggested to overcome the challenges outlined. VoIP is presented as the way of the future for communication. When this finally happens depends on how fast the challenges outlined in this chapter are addressed. Future and emerging research trends in the deployment of VoIP such as locating users in a secure and reliable way, monitoring VoIP networks, as well as intrusion detection and prevention on SIP were also considered, after which, conclusion was made. This chapter is both informative and interesting.

Strategy and Policy Issues Related to Nanotechnology Innovations in Medical Education

Nanotechnology, the science of building devices at the molecular and atomic levels, is finding applications in many fields. From computing to communication and to drug delivery, it continues to provide a new dimension on what science can deliver to the society. In this chapter, the author examines the strategy and policy issues affecting innovations in nanotechnology with specific focus on medical education. The field of nanotechnology is broad and encompasses a variety of disciplines, including the physical sciences, engineering, and biomedicine; consequently, an educational system that focuses on any single discipline will not provide adequate training. So, creating an environment in which students can obtain an interdisciplinary education is necessary. That will shape their perspectives as well as position them to creatively use the potentials of the technology to advance science and human society.

Disruptive Product Innovation Strategy

In today’s business world, many companies are in search of an innovative strategy to move on to a market where there is as yet no competition. In view of that, many academics and managers are trying to find a systematic framework for a strategic innovative business model. One of the examples of a systematic framework is Blue Ocean Strategy (BOS), which provides various tools for managers to find a gap in an existing market or to create a new market where there is no competition. This chapter uses Apple’s iPod product chain to illustrate how BOS tools can be used to create an innovative strategy for two reasons. Firstly, there are few practical examples that illustrate the BOS, as it is a recent business model and so this chapter can be a useful illustration for those audiences who are interested in strategic innovations focusing on disruption. Secondly, the iPod is a great example of an innovative product where the manufacturer benefits from low competition, high market share, and high profit return.

Policy Influence of Solar PV Diffusion into the Nigerian Rural Energy Mix

The study in this chapter examined policy options for promoting solar PV diffusion into the energy mix of six selected remote villages that were pilot sites for national and foreign assisted solar electrification programs in three ecological regions of Nigeria. A total of 910 questionnaires were administered on the solar PV users, suppliers, and government agencies to elicit information on alternative energy sources for provision of energy services. The results showed that solar PV usage was 49.9 kWh per/day, which constituted an insignificant share of about 14% in the total lighting requirement and less than 2% of the total requirement for energy services. The demand would rise to 73.3 kWh per/day by 2019 at the same 14% share of the total lighting requirement. Firewood demand maintained over 80 percent share (2383.5 kWh per/day) in the total energy mix in 2009. It also revealed that the best policy option of 200 percent increase in solar bulbs’ share for lighting by 2014 would require 50% reduction in kerosene share. The study concluded that increasing utilization of solar PV for lighting, entertainment, refrigeration, and ventilation in the study areas could lead to decrease in the use of energy from alternative sources.

Planning and Designing Educational Technology for Low-Income Communities

This chapter is an excerpt of a study that addressed the above concern using the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) projects in Nigeria and Ghana as a case. It also situates the OLPC XO-laptop as a disruptive technology, because it aims at altering the existing pedagogy of the communities in which it was introduced through its constructivist approach. Moreover, as with most disruptive technologies, the XO laptop project is considered revolutionary, dramatically cheaper than regular laptops, convenient, and provides a different kind of learning content. As with the theme of this chapter, the XO laptop, although possessing disruptive technological qualities, was unable to achieve its goal due to lack of thorough planning and implementation of the adoption process. Results from the study informed the author to posit a model for technology adoption in low-income communities that is considered inclusive, participatory, and proactive, involving all stakeholders in setting up a policy. Such policy is expected to serve as benchmark for measuring the congruency of any proposed product whether disruptive or sustainable to the local need before its adoption.

Branding Innovation

The impact of innovation on the competitive ability of firms is obvious. R&D activities are expensive, time consuming, and risky. Hence, protecting the rights to any innovative output is extremely important. Given this context, the author delves into understanding how branding works to help companies to benefit from the fruits of their innovation. Patent rights are important; however, as it is discussed in the literature, owning patent rights might not suffice. Business and process improvement without branding could face problems in the 21st knowledge economy. Companies should see brand as a “patent” through which customers emotionally connect and choose their products and services over competitors. Just as patents are designed to provide exclusivity in a market, brand offers that, tacitly, if properly executed. Branding can establish a self-sustaining relationship between customers and the producers thereby helping companies to be protected from patent infringement. In this study, the author shows evidence to the lack of any viable branding strategy on innovation by the few Turkish firms that have filed patents. This explains the lagging of the Turkish companies in internationalizing their brands.

How Firms Deal with Discontinuous Innovation

Management literature has highlighted that under discontinuous conditions, incumbents have encountered serious obstacles in identifying, developing, and commercializing innovations as traditional and validated ‘good’ approaches are not adequate, or even counterproductive. It is therefore necessary to identify and deploy the practices that organisations could apply for enhancing their capacity to manage innovation under such complex environmental conditions. Based on a comprehensive literature review on search practices and on the empirical background of the Discontinuous Innovation Lab - a research network covering around 180 firms in 12 countries - a questionnaire has been submitted to a 500 high tech Italian firm sample (respondents are R&D directors or general managers). This chapter analyses in detail the relations between search practices, their antecedents (culture, organizational context, R&D expenditure, market turbulence, etc.), and performance (in terms of competences and innovation).

Nanosciences and Nanotechnologies

Nanotechnologies and nanosciences are one of the most important novelties in the panorama of sciences and technologies. This work presents: their evolution since their first emergence; their most important scientific and technological features; the analysis of their role in society and economics in the socio-economic literature; their main areas of scientific and technological evolution and deployment; the motivations of the interests towards them in science and society. Nanotechnologies and nanosciences originate from a recombination of pre-existing research fields; they have the character of being a general-purpose technology and are linked to classic scientific areas. The character of Disruptive Technology of nanotechnologies and nanosciences is assessed also with the use of experimental data from a bibliographic analysis. Several examples of nanotechnological items are presented, either yet in the hands of consumers or showing promising features for the near future. The accurate description of this newly expanding area of sciences and technologies can provide important insights to the scholars and practitioners who are engaged in the study of this field of science, technology, and innovation, or aim at comparing this with related fields.

Disruptive Product Strategy for Industry First Mover

This chapter combines disruptive innovation with industry evolution theory to construct an innovation planning phase, including exploration, assessment, strategy formation, and activity planning, and further verified it using qualitative interviews and quantitative analysis of a successful disruptive innovation case in the IT industry. The research constructs an industry evolution model of disruptive innovation and first mover’s strategic direction. When an enterprise is positioned in the market with a disruptive innovation, it is expected to gain a large market and give customers enough reasons to make a purchase. During the course of the planning phase, a firm should use different strategic approaches, such as innovative differentiation, leading product, low price expansion, and diversification of the product line, in order to create a significant strategic synergy which will help to speed the time to market and obtain the advantage of low cost, thus producing a “single innovation concept with diversified value contribution” to help restructure the entire market.