Study On The Rule And Pattern Of Information Industry Development

As a complicated industrial system, information industry develops with its own intrinsic mechanism, fundamental routine and strategic pattern, which are herein analyzed in the paper according to theories and methodologies of industrial economics. The whole paper is divided into eight chapters.In Chapter I, the author proposes basic principle for definition of information industry according to the economic features of industry. The principle is that the definition of information industry should lay emphasis on information production and consumption, which is also the core, and the definition should indicate both the basic features of information production and consumption and the historical progressing and contemporary features of information industry. Then the following definition is put forward that information industry is a comprehensive category of industrial units and infrastructure that promote and sustain the production, dissemination, distribution and supply of information content and service with the aim of meeting social need of information consumption, on the basis of which information industry is classified as information content providing industry, support industry for information production and consumption and information service industry. Meanwhile the development process of information industry is divided into fours phases according to basic features of information production and consumption, i.e. traditional information industry period, mass media and dissemination period, modern information industry period and computerized and networked period, basic features of information industry are also analyzed as knowledge-based, highly innovative, highly venturing and dominant by social elite.From Chapter II to VI, fundamental rules of information industry development and progress are analyzed and elaborated from the point of view of industrial structure and organization, industrial layout and transfer, technical innovation, international trade and industrial competition.In Chapter II, the author elaborates internal structure and correlation of informationindustry with reference of some concepts proposed by Shannon in his Information Theoretics, such as information dissemination model, theory of industrial structure based on information productivity and theory of user-oriented value chain. On the basis of his analysis, the author proposes that information channel industry, as the industrial focus of information industry and the dominant element to the internal structure of information industry, is the most co-relative element that functions as the linkage leading the integration of relevant industries. Information tool is a prerequisite for information content production, development and the increase of information labor and the innovation and application of information tool are essential driving forces that push forward the progress of information industry structure. As users are the core oriented by information industry, information content industry is in the focal point of the value chain with information channel as foundation and information equipment manufacturing and software development as support. As people's need for information is diversified, information industry is becoming a multi-value chain with the uses in the core, there is competition between different value chain, but they can not substitute with each other.In the organizational analysis of information industry in Chapter III, the author prompts and analyzed the basic features of information industry market from the point of view of industry centralization, the scale of leading enterprises and functions of small and medium-sized enterprises, i.e. coexistence of monopolying flagship and small and medium-sized enterprise. Furthermore, the market structure of information industry is given an economic analysis with respect of natural monopolying status, status of scale-based economy of provider, externality status of network and lock-in effect of information industry. With reference of the content and features of modularized production, the author then summarizes the impact of modularization production on the production organization of information-based enterprises and elaborates the essential trends of production organization of information-based enterprises, such as the virtualization and vertical integration, specialization and open system. The author also discusses some organizational behavior of information-based enterprises, such as strategic alliance, merging and reorganization.In the respect of industrial layout and transfer, their basic features are elaborated asfollows. In the contemporary information industry layout, the international labor division system for information industry is actually dominated by developed countries as U.S.A. and European countries, with multi-national companies playing important roles, the information industry presents the features of specialization and congregation. The international industrial transfer of information industry further strengthens the international labor division system instead of breaking it, with FDI as a major way of international industrial transfer of information industry. The industrial transfer and technical transfer of information industry interact and promote each other, which are the major approach for transcending development of developing countries, but industrial transfer and technical transfer presents asymmetrical features. Industrial ecology is an important factor for promoting the industrial congregation and cluster development, essential features of industrial ecology are analyzed with Silicon Valley as an example, on the basis of which the development of Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta are elaborated.In the research to industrial innovation, the author analyzes basic connotation of information technology innovation and proposes some major ways through which information technology innovation influences the development of information industry. He summarizes some essential features of information technology innovation, such as importance of strategy-making, high input, correlation with time duration, network trend, transcending status, multinational trend and phase-development pattern, and also summarizes some major patterns and features of information technology innovation, such as autonomous technical innovation, introduction and assimilation, cut-in and improvement, export-oriented manufacturing. The author also discusses the assurance mechanism of information technology innovation from the point of view of technical innovation system, venture capital investment and open study.In the respect of international trade and industrial competition in information industry, the author summarizes some basic features as zero tariffs of international trade, high increase, asymmetry among regions and characteristics of international trade, dominance of ICT equipment, major growing status of software and service trade, dominance of internal trade within multi-national companies, entrusted manufacturingand assembly as major ways of trade, etc. On the basis of analysis of such non-tariffs barrier of information industry as green barrier in information industry and governmental purchase, the author draws conclusions that standards are commanding point that will dominate the industrial competition and that intellectual property is a crucial tool in the international trade, he also summarizes some rules in the system competition, open competition and coexistence of cooperation and competition.In Chapter VII, the connotation and different type of strategic pattern of information industry development are deeply analyzed with example elaboration of strategic pattern hybrid in US, Japan, Korea, China Taiwan and India, etc, on the basis of which the following fundamental experience of strategic pattern of information industry development in some typical countries is summarized. Firstly, the recognition of position in international labor division system of a country is a prerequisite for a country to choose typical development strategy for its information industry; secondly, it is crucial to choose the path for its development according to its own technical innovation level and status; thirdly, it is an effective measure to focus on informational channel establishment and information technology application in incubating the driving force and mechanism of its information industry; fourthly, it is a core to establish favorable information industry development mechanism for incubating the industrial competence.In Chapter VIII, the author evaluates present development status of information industry in China from the point of view of industrial structure and organization, industrial layout and transfer, technical innovation, international trade and development impetus, etc. On the basis of analysis of background of Chinese information industry development, the author at last proposes the following development strategy for information industry in China from the perspectives of development path, industrial orientation, choice of prior development fields and their order, industrial organization, industrial layout and transfer, technical innovation and international trade, etc. With regard to development path, it is suggested to adopt the combination of innovation advantage and competitive advantage and the combination of learning-transcending and knowledge strategy. With regard to the development prior order in information industry development, it is suggested to take equipment manufacturing industry as core and takeinformation content production and service and information infrastructure establishment as the double wing for the taking off of information industry. With regard to industrial organization, it is suggested to adhere to the strategy of combination of promoting competition and enhancing industrial congregation. With regard to industrial layout and transfer, it is suggested to accept international industrial transfer and mobilize nongovernmental investment at the same time so as to cultivate dual driving force and focus on industrial cluster for accelerating the industrial regional development specialization and market innovation. With regard to technical innovation strategy, it is suggested to combine technical driving force and market driving force for incubating competition advantage and to implement transcending strategy, intellectual property and standard strategy and integration of "soft" and "hard" strategy. With regard to international trade, it is suggested to adopt open and assimilation strategy and stepping-out strategy.