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By the mid-1980's, says this author, a wide range of new telecommunications services will be available for business use. these include videotelephones, interactive television, electronic mail, and sophisticated data systems. But how useful will these developments really be? And what are their implications for business managers? These are some of the questions that are answered in this article. The author maintains that while there is tremendous potential for change as the new services become available, constraints such as high costs and government regulations will limit their implementation. And he argues that, in many cases, managers will find "wires" poor substitutes for live face-to-face contact and other established communications habits. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Telecommunications 2000 In November 1972, I spoke at a luncheon of the Telecommunications Committee of the National Association of Manufacturers. Entitled 'Telecommunications-1985,' my talk was reported in TE&M (Dec. 1, [...]

Twenty-four persons from ten GTE organizations conducted a study to determine what factors affected the transfer of technology from GTE Laboratories to GTE business units. The group agreed on a definition of, and model for, technology transfer. Twenty-one examples were analyzed to identify factors facilitating and factors inhibiting the process. They are categorized by the nature of the research to be transferred, the characteristics of the receiving organization, the characteristics of the giving organization, and the nature of the communications between the organizations. The findings are turned into transfer checklists: one for management in the receiving organization, and one for management in the giving organization. In the process, it became clear that: technology transfer is the transfer of knowledge; business strategy affects the likelihood of success in a transfer; culture, particularly the reward system, influences technology transfer; and, technical, management, and time gaps can inhibit the transfer process. Some of these points are included in a conceptual decision model which addresses whether a proposed transfer is likely to be successful. As a result of the study, the authors believe that those who have responsibility for managing transfer are more aware of the factors which influence it and that successful transfer depends on the stability of management objectives.

Information retrieval is not the only capability that advanced electronics can offer to households. Other, more complex chores can be performed by specialized terminals that combine microprocessors with relatively conventional hardware. Three experimental systems now in the laboratory would do the following in homes: 1. Control the use of electricity to avert overloading at utilities that can lead to blackouts. 2. Turn the television receiver into a programmable information/entertainment center. 3. Use the telephone at idle times for meter reading, alarm reporting, and the remote monitoring and control of lighting, heating, and air-conditioning.