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Keeping the U.S. Computer Industry Competitive Defining the Agenda (1990) / Chapter Skim
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Executive Summary
Pages 1-4

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From page 1...
... From this broad representation emerged a strong consensus on one central theme: Ensuring that the United States remains preeminent in computing at the beginning of the next century requires strategic comrrutment, leadership, and collective will that cannot be attained with a "business as usual" approach by industry or government. This conclusion was based on discussion in five major areas.
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From page 2...
... Manufacturing More and more computers and components will resemble consumer electronics goods, taking on a commodity-like character with both quality and price determining market success; firms that are successful in these large-volume markets will be those with superior product design, manufacturing efficiency, and product quality. If weaknesses in manufacturing and in the integration of research, development, and manufacturing are not corrected, computer hardware manufacturers could find themselves serving only specialty markets.
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From page 3...
... According to several participants, standardizing operating systems could stifle creativity, lock technology at a primitive stage, and open the industry to imitator firms that compete on the basis of low manufacturing costs rather than innovation. According to the opposing view, it could instead ensure a base level of conformance onto which innovative firms could add their own specialized hardware and applications, and it could make sophisticated systems cheaper and easier to use and thereby increase the productivity of the nation as a whole.
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From page 4...
... Several participants proposed building a national advanced-technology computing and communications network that would enable a variety of computer-based activities and resources, while fostering advances in hardware and software technologies that would benefit the computer sector. Acknowledging that this concept raises a number of implementation and policy questions, participants suggested that federal proposals for a national research and education network were a good place to start.
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Key Terms

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  • broad partnerships
  • stifle creativity
  • lock technology
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  • specialized hardware
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  • markets requires
  • product design
  • colloquium pariicipants

  • access memory
  • electronic components
  • corrunercial benefits
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  • primitive stage
  • requires cooperation
  • education network
  • manufacturing efficiency
  • imitator firms


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