The International Computer Software Industry: A Comparative Study of Industry Evolution and Structure

Although the computer software industry is growing rapidly and is of increasing importance for the international competitiveness of other high-technology industries and national economies, it has received surprisingly little attention from scholars. Data on employment, sales, and industry structure for the software industry are rare, and public statistical agencies do not provide reliable, internationally comparable data. The International Computer Software Industry offers the first comprehensive, cross-national analysis of the origins, structure, and competitive strengths of the U.S., Japanese, British, Western European, and Russian computer software industries. In addition to chapters dealing with each of these industries, the volume examines in detail the role of U.S. government policy in supporting the emergence of the U.S. software industry, the interaction between software and hardware in technology commercialization, and the changing structure and influence of intellectual property rights within the industry. This edited volume contains research conducted by a group of international experts in the software industry. It will be essential reading for managers and analysts in the software industry, along with scholars and students of technology and of the computer software industry.