Computer →
- 14 Mar 2023
- Cold Call Podcast
Can AI and Machine Learning Help Park Rangers Prevent Poaching?
Globally there are too few park rangers to prevent the illegal trade of wildlife across borders, or poaching. In response, Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) was created by a coalition of conservation organizations to take historical data and create geospatial mapping tools that enable more efficient deployment of rangers. SMART had demonstrated significant improvements in patrol coverage, with some observed reductions in poaching. Then a new predictive analytic tool, the Protection Assistant for Wildlife Security (PAWS), was created to use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to try to predict where poachers would be likely to strike. Jonathan Palmer, Executive Director of Conservation Technology for the Wildlife Conservation Society, already had a good data analytics tool to help park rangers manage their patrols. Would adding an AI- and ML-based tool improve outcomes or introduce new problems? Harvard Business School senior lecturer Brian Trelstad discusses the importance of focusing on the use case when determining the value of adding a complex technology solution in his case, “SMART: AI and Machine Learning for Wildlife Conservation.”
- 19 Jul 2020
- Working Paper Summaries
Open Source Software and Global Entrepreneurship
Does more activity in open source software development lead to increased entrepreneurial activity and, if so, how much, and in what direction? This study measures how participation on the GitHub open source platform affects the founding of new ventures globally.
- 24 Feb 2020
- Research & Ideas
The Hidden Vulnerabilities of Open Source Software
The increasing use of open source software in most commercial apps has revolutionized software development—but also created hidden vulnerabilities, say Frank Nagle and Jenny Hoffman. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 18 Jul 2019
- Lessons from the Classroom
The Internet of Things Needs a Business Model. Here It Is
Companies have struggled to find the right opportunities for selling the Internet of Things. Rajiv Lal says that’s all about to change. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 11 Feb 2019
- Working Paper Summaries
The IBM PC
The IBM PC was the first computer platform to be open by choice and not because of financial constraints. Initially, this openness kept IBM competitive. But IBM’s control over two strategic bottlenecks— standards embedded in the Basic Input Output System, and system integration and manufacturing of the computer itself—turned out to be weak.
- 05 Sep 2018
- Research & Ideas
The Hidden Benefit of Giving Back to Open Source Software
Firms that allow their software programmers to "give back" to the open source community on company time gain benefits—even though competitors might benefit too, says Frank Nagle. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 03 Jul 2018
- What Do You Think?
Should CEO Satya Nadella Cancel Microsoft’s Contract with ICE?
SUMMING UP Respondents to this month’s James Heskett column provided a resounding “no” to the question of whether Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella should accede to the wishes of a vocal minority of employees and cancel ICE contracts. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 15 Feb 2018
- Working Paper Summaries
Can Financial Innovation Solve Household Reluctance to Take Risk?
Structured products are an innovative class of retail financial products with option-like features. This paper provides empirical evidence suggesting that innovative financial products like these can help alleviate loss aversion and thus the low participation of households in risky asset markets.
- 07 Apr 2017
- Working Paper Summaries
Explaining the Vertical-to-Horizontal Transition in the Computer Industry
This paper shows how the vertical-to-horizontal transition in the computer industry was an organizational response to a change in economic rewards brought by the competing technologies of rationalized step processes and open platform systems. The spread of modular architectures—and the rapid pace of change in semiconductor technology—shifted the balance of rewards away from predictability toward flexibility.
- 06 Apr 2016
- What Do You Think?
As Tim Cook, How Would You Tackle Apple's Next Challenge?
SUMMING UP With Apple's technology now apparently less secure, CEO Tim Cook suddenly has some critical decisions to make. James Heskett guides us through the options and asks for suggestions. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 09 Nov 2015
- Research & Ideas
These Employers Pay Higher Salaries than Necessary
Some employers using online freelance marketplaces for the first time pay more than they have to for workers. Why? An information imbalance that job seekers can exploit, as explained in research by professor Christopher T. Stanton. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 02 Nov 2015
- Book
Dear Internet: You Are Extraordinary, But Not Exceptional
Professor Shane Greenstein is annoyed by “Internet exceptionalism,” the prevalent idea that the Internet defies economic logic, that there’s never been anything like it in business history, and that its impact supersedes everything. In his new book, Greenstein argues that the Internet actually follows classic patterns of economic behavior, detailing the commercial forces that guided the Internet’s path from cool invention to successful innovation. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 05 Aug 2015
- What Do You Think?
What Happened to the ‘Innovation, Disruption, Technology’ Dividend?
SUMMING UP. Jim Heskett’s readers are divided on whether we are seeing productivity dividends from the latest round of technological innovation. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 20 Apr 2015
- Research & Ideas
The 5 Strategy Rules of Bill Gates, Andy Grove, and Steve Jobs
David Yoffie and Michael Cusumano find common leadership lessons from the tech titans of Microsoft, Intel, and Apple in the new book, Strategy Rules. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 08 Apr 2015
- What Do You Think?
Are Technology Companies Ripe for Disruption?
SUMMING UP Jim Heskett's readers discuss the fate of tech companies that continue to stuff their products with unwanted bells and whistles. What do YOU think? Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 22 Jan 2014
- Research & Ideas
High-Tech Immigrant Workers Don’t Cost US Jobs
Hiring skilled immigrants by United States high-tech firms not only doesn't push out existing workers, it creates job opportunities for all, argues William Kerr. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 25 Oct 2012
- Research & Ideas
10 Reasons Customers Might Resist Windows 8
Has Microsoft become too innovative? Professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter, a leader in the field of change management, discusses reasons that people might not rush to embrace Windows 8. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 07 Oct 2011
- Research & Ideas
The Steve Jobs Legacy
Harvard Business School faculty offer their perspectives on the legendary career of Steve Jobs, who remade several industries even as he changed how we use technology. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 08 Sep 2011
- What Do You Think?
What’s Apple’s Biggest Challenge: Replacing Steve or Wall Street?
Summing Up: Steve Jobs' influence on Apple is pervasive--maybe too much so. Jim Heskett's readers think Apple faces an almost impossible task in replacing the visionary founder. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
(Virtual) Reality Check: How Long Before We Live in the 'Metaverse'?
Generative AI has captured the collective imagination for the moment, eclipsing the once-hyped metaverse. However, it's not the end of virtual reality. A case study by Andy Wu and David Yoffie lays out the key challenges immersive 3D technology must overcome to be truly transformative.