Comments on: The Invention of the Transistor http://innovationzen.com/blog/2006/12/23/the-invention-of-the-transistor/ Innovation Management, Business Strategy, Technology and more! Fri, 21 Oct 2011 16:44:36 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Daniel Scocco http://innovationzen.com/blog/2006/12/23/the-invention-of-the-transistor/comment-page-1/#comment-2304 Daniel Scocco Tue, 26 Dec 2006 19:59:24 +0000 http://innovationzen.com/blog/2006/12/23/the-invention-of-the-transistor/#comment-2304 I knew something about the Ampex story. Regarding the Japanese culture, I am not sure whether it is more flexible or not, but during the 80s and early 90s it certainly helped companies to pursue technological innovations, partly due to the governamental incentives. I knew something about the Ampex story. Regarding the Japanese culture, I am not sure whether it is more flexible or not, but during the 80s and early 90s it certainly helped companies to pursue technological innovations, partly due to the governamental incentives.

]]> By: apirie http://innovationzen.com/blog/2006/12/23/the-invention-of-the-transistor/comment-page-1/#comment-2193 apirie Sun, 24 Dec 2006 03:35:04 +0000 http://innovationzen.com/blog/2006/12/23/the-invention-of-the-transistor/#comment-2193 I really wanted to leave this on your "About" page under the Betamax/VHS heading, but it works here as well. The story behind the story is that the initial innovation, 3/4" video tape, originated, as I understand it, at Ampex. Ampex had captured the original market for video recording done within the context of the televsion production/broadcast industry. The first machines were huge, used 3" tape, and were physically and psychologically appropriate for the engineering control rooms where they were housed. Someone within Ampex developed a much smaller version, but corporate Ampex couldn't see the possibilities and sold the rights off to the Japanese. Considering that Toyota is set to become the world's number one automaker following a process that has some of the characteristics of disruptive innovation, one wonders if there is some cultural element at play which allows Japanese businesses to operate more flexibly around innovation? I really wanted to leave this on your “About” page under the Betamax/VHS heading, but it works here as well. The story behind the story is that the initial innovation, 3/4″ video tape, originated, as I understand it, at Ampex. Ampex had captured the original market for video recording done within the context of the televsion production/broadcast industry. The first machines were huge, used 3″ tape, and were physically and psychologically appropriate for the engineering control rooms where they were housed. Someone within Ampex developed a much smaller version, but corporate Ampex couldn’t see the possibilities and sold the rights off to the Japanese.

Considering that Toyota is set to become the world’s number one automaker following a process that has some of the characteristics of disruptive innovation, one wonders if there is some cultural element at play which allows Japanese businesses to operate more flexibly around innovation?

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