INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, CONSUMER PRODUCTS AND WAYS OF LIFE

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, CONSUMER PRODUCTS AND
WAYS OF LIFE

• Lawrence Green and Ian Miles, PREST

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Consumption, Demand and Consumer Products are
often neglected in Innovation Studies and Social
Analysis more generally
but...

• Objective of economic activity (?)
• Firms and public services need to understand
  end-user requirements
• Technological trajectories influenced by demand
  (and expectations of demand), and by consequent
  regulations, etc.
• Changes in demand ? changes in economic structure
• Changed ways of life enormously important

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Technology and Households
Consumers are not just passive

• Consumer Markets choice among products of any
  particular type, between different types of
  product,is typical (not universal)
• Consumer Use of products often reinvents
  product and its main uses, configuration with
  other products, image, etc
• Consumption an active process, with (a) informal
  production, (b) social networks and discourse
  meaning (c) consumption far more than demand
• Feedback to producers, retailers, complementary
  services, new entrants

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Diffusion - communications
Data from EURESCOM surveys see www.eurescom.de
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Core Industrial
employment/Technology Applications
organisation
Displacement of manual labour Extension of
physical reach of production and of
markets, Econ. of Scale Back-office informatisati
on Extension of organisational coordination

• Primary Sectors
• Manufacturing
• Physical Services
• Process Industries
• Information Services
• Human Services

Motor Power petroleum electricity
Information Distribution electronics
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Core Industrial employment/
Technology Applications organisation
Convergence and interpenetration New
relations between firms and sectors Virtual org
anisations? Fragmentation, Flattening, Focusing,
Economies of scope

• Primary Sectors
• Manufacturing
• Physical Services
• Process Industries
• Information Services
• Human Services

Powerful Information Processing
microelectronics, etc.
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Perceived Trajectories of Core Technologies Appl
ications in Industry Perceived Consumer Market Op
portunities
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Core Consumer Product Technology
Applications Consumption
Mid C20th TECH
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Core Consumer Product Technology
Applications Consumption
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Applying IT to Consumer Products

• Improving Functions
• Controls, Displays, Memories, Safety features,
  New interfaces, intercommunication, smaller,
  user-friendly, green features
• Adding New Functions
• Portable, mobile, programmable
• New Products
• New white/brown goods
• New services (e.g. e-commerce)
• New Systems
• Home systems

• Who is doing this?
• Which industrial sectors? (IT, consumer
  electronics, telecomms, household goods,
  utilities)
• What alliances?
• Which are the drivers? (eldercare, disability,
  security, environment, hobbyists)..

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Sony now has a whole family of AIBOEntertainment
Robots
...including the latest ERS-220. The only truly
autonomous robot commercially available, AIBO
learns and adapts according to the environment
around it, and the way you interact with it. ...
64 Bit RISC Processor, 100,000 pixel CMOS image
sensor, stereo microphones and miniature
speakers the latest in home entertainment.
futuristic looking... Additional lights LEDs,
including a retractable headlight
which illuminates when it enters 'Boost Mode
And the fun doesn't stop there! Sony has just
launched a new version of Master Studio (Version
1.1) - the programme which allows you to create
your own actions and behaviours for your AIBO.
http//www.eu.aibo.com
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And More...
http//www.eu.aibo.com/en/sneak_preview/index.html

• All AIBO Entertainment Robots have the capability
  to communicate with the world around them through
  the senses of sight, sound and touch. The truly
  unique artificial intelligence allows each AIBO
  to decide how it is going to behave based on its
  instincts, its emotions and these sensory
  interactions. These interactions with the people
  they meet, other AIBOs and the world around them
  will develop your AIBO's unique personality as it
  learns from every experience.
• Then, with the simple change of a Memory Stick
  and perhaps the addition of a Wireless LAN Card,
  a whole new application is available. For example
  you can play games with AIBO, control your AIBO
  remotely getting the real-time image from AIBO's
  onboard camera or get AIBO to read you e-mails.
• Whatever your style, there is now an AIBO that
  will suit you. Whether you want a cute companion
  like LATTE or MACARON, an expressive robotic pet
  like the ERS-210 or a futuristic robot like the
  new ERS-220, one of the AIBO range is sure to
  appeal to you. ...

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Interactive Home Systems
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a detailed view from http//future.newsday.com/3/
fsmint.htm
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What is Home Automation?from http//www.smart-hou
se.com/About/homeauto.htm

• Rest easy with bedside controls.
• Keep an eye on the kids, even if you're not in
  the same room.
• Save time and energy with a built-in vacuum
  system.
• Control your heating and cooling for maximum
  efficiency and lower costs
• Fax, email, phone from any room. (Or every room.)
• A timer switch a day keeps the prowlers away.
• First there was surround-sound. Now there's
  follow - you - anywhere - in - the - house sound.
• Now is the time to make your life more efficient,
  more convenient and ultimately more enjoyable.
  Build a smart house today and let your home
  "work" for you!

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What is Home Automation?from http//www.smart-hou
se.com/About/homeauto.htm

• Rest easy with bedside controls.
• Keep an eye on the kids, even if you're not in
  the same room.
• Save ti1me and energy with a built-in vacuum
  system.
• Control your heating and cooling for maximum
  efficiency and lower costs
• Fax, email, phone from any room. (Or every room.)
• A timer switch a day keeps the prowlers away.
• First there was surround-sound. Now there's
  follow - you - anywhere - in - the - house sound.
• Now is the time to make your life more efficient,
  more convenient and ultimately more enjoyable.
  Build a smart house today and let your home
  "work" for you!

With select placement of video cameras throughout
your house, you can monitor your baby's room as
well as any entrance to your home via any
television
Sleep the night away peacefully knowing that your
family is safe and that you have a home that
works for you. Now, with the touch of a button
at your bedside, you can turn on all the lights
in your house at the first sign of a disturbance.
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What is Home Automation?rom http//www.smart-hous
e.com/About/homeauto.htm

• Rest easy with bedside controls.
• Keep an eye on the kids, even if you're not in
  the same room.
• Save time and energy with a built-in vacuum
  system.
• Control your heating and cooling for maximum
  efficiency and lower costs
• Fax, email, phone from any room. (Or every room.)
• A timer switch a day keeps the prowlers away.
• First there was surround-sound. Now there's
  follow - you - anywhere - in - the - house sound.
• Now is the time to make your life more efficient,
  more convenient and ultimately more enjoyable.
  Build a smart house today and let your home
  "work" for you!

Make a clean sweep of house work with a
centralized vacuum system. You simply insert a
lightweight hose into a conveniently located
inlet valve and you're ready to go. Valves can
be placed in each room and on each floor,
anywhere you choose..
With electronic controls, you can enjoy maximum
comfort in your home, while still maintaining
efficiency. You can even set your heating and
cooling system to "away" and "at home" tempatures.
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What is Home Automation?rom http//www.smart-hous
e.com/About/homeauto.htm

• Rest easy with bedside controls.
• Keep an eye on the kids, even if you're not in
  the same room.
• Save time and energy with a built-in vacuum
  system.
• Control your heating and cooling for maximum
  efficiency and lower costs
• Fax, email, phone from any room. (Or every room.)
• A timer switch a day keeps the prowlers away.
• First there was surround-sound. Now there's
  follow - you - anywhere - in - the - house sound.
• Now is the time to make your life more efficient,
  more convenient and ultimately more enjoyable.
  Build a smart house today and let your home
  "work" for you!

Whether you have a small home office, or your
entire home is your office, SMART HOUSE can give
you access to the world. We can even create an
in-home local area network (LAN), connecting you
to other computers throughout the house. Just
plug in your fax, modem and telephone, and you're
ready to start communicating around the world or
around the corner.
Programmable lighting controls allow you to
program your system for an "away" mode that can
protect your home when you're away on vacation.
Lights will go on and off in keeping with your
daily routine, confusing potential prowlers as to
whether you're at home or away.
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What is Home Automation?rom http//www.smart-hous
e.com/About/homeauto.htm

• Rest easy with bedside controls.
• Keep an eye on the kids, even if you're not in
  the same room.
• Save time and energy with a built-in vacuum
  system.
• Control your heating and cooling for maximum
  efficiency and lower costs
• Fax, email, phone from any room. (Or every room.)
• A timer switch a day keeps the prowlers away.
• First there was surround-sound. Now there's
  follow - you - anywhere - in - the - house sound.
• Now is the time to make your life more efficient,
  more convenient and ultimately more enjoyable.
  Build a smart house today and let your home
  "work" for you!

Imagine being able to listen to your favorite
music or watch a great video anywhere in your
home. Start out in the media room with surround
sound. Then move to the kitchen. Then the
master bedroom. Anywhere you go in your home,
you can enjoy music and video, whether you have
cable or direct TV.
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Contexts of Household Activity
Technological Change Heartland and Applications
Types of Household Activity Formal (paid)
work Informal (domestic) work Informal
(out-of-home) work Personal Care At-home
leisure Out-of-home leisure
Organisational Change in Public Services and
Employing Bodies
Social and Political Change
Environmental Change
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The Digital Divide..

• From SIBIS (www.sibis-eu.org see also
  biser-eu.org seniorwatch.de, beep-eu.org)
• Risk Groups
• Gender - women
• Age - 50
• Education - low education (formal education
  finished before 15v years old
• - Income - low income (lowest quartile)

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SIBIS diffusion analysis
of adopters
Early adoption take-of
maturity
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Next week

• Policy Issues
• Your job - take a IT-related policy area,
  preferably for your own country or one you know
  well
• How has this evolved over time? Have the goals
  changed?
• What underlies the policy? Are information
  society goals distinctive?