The Evolving Knowledge-Based Global Economy

Overview of Background and Context - Non-Paper
Submitted by Information Habitat: Where Information Lives

Economic and Social Council
High-level Panel of Experts on
    Information and Communication Technology
United Nations Headquarters, New York
17-20 April 2000

Nature of Networked Information Economy




Nature & properties of information

• Information as representation of real world
  • Common medium to map the real world
  • Geographic information systems - mapping the real world
• Material properties - properties of a "free good"
  • Zero mass
  • Zero physical size
  • Travel at speed of light
• Common access to properties of the whole
• Intelligence principles governing information
  • Management enhanced by intelligent protocols
  • Value enhanced by intelligent organization
  • Organization enhanced by intelligent relational databases
  • Access and flow enhanced by intelligent networks
  • Understanding enhanced by intelligent practice



Nature & properties of networks

• Nature of the Internet
  • Network of networks
    • .net as highest top-level domain
  • Centrality of protocol
  • Power of a network



Nature of property in a networked information economy

• Intellectual & artistic properties
  • Patents
  • Trade marks
  • Copy rights
  • Domains
• Domain as seat of property
  • Address, identity & public presence
  • Knowledge / resource base
  • Nature of domain as property
  • Top level country domains
  • Domain registration policy & practices
  • Theory & practice of domain prices / rental
• Network infrastructure & bandwidth as property
  • Wired networks
  • Wireless bandwidth
  • Global
  • National
  • Local



Nature of markets in a networked information economy

• Information exchange as essence of market transaction
• Re-defining markets - Domain as market
• Framework for a "perfect free market"
• Necessity & feasibility of full-cost markets



Evolutionary stage of the Internet




New Economy technologies

• Software
• Hardware
• Digital content



dot.com engages the Old Economy

• Energy markets
• Building materials & processes
• Automobiles & auto parts



Accelerating adoption of Internet

• The wireless revolution
  • Leapfrogging infrastructure limitations
  • Wireless Application Protocol
  • Virtually instant installation & access to global markets



Images & sound - language of the Internet

• Downloadable music & sound - massive emerging market
• Downloadable television - biggest market of all?
  • Tuvalu & .tv domains