Year: 2000
Type: article
Abstract: The multifaceted, complex process of new product development could be regarded as the single most \nimportant factor driving firm success or failure in the maturing telecommunications industry. The \nspeedy introduction of innovative new services with a customer quality orientation is needed to \nexcel in this extremely competitive environment. Approaches proposed to a service marketing strategy \ninclude the exploitation of similarities with product development, relating, or even transforming, \nthe service to a product or something tangible, management of temporary supply/demand \nimbalances and service flowcharting/blueprinting. Sensitivity towards ethical issues is important \nto avoid a negative reputation and to get a name for being honest, fair and accepting of responsibility \nfor the consequences of the service developed. Globalisation, deregulation (which causes \nincreased competition) and the shifting of patent law in favour of the inventor drive the increased \nimportance of intellectual property protection, to prevent competitors stealing inventions and new \nservice concepts. To qualify for patent protection, a concept must be new, useful and not obvious to \nsomeone with knowledge in the field. In the case of new service development, one cannot apply all \nthe principles and practices to protect intellectual property. However, it is surmised that an organisation \ncan maintain a competitive advantage with new services by encapsulating and integrating \nsuch services in internal expert systems, software and firewalls to entry. Internal safeguards and \nthe confidentiality of systems are obvious policies. Potential research topics are offered.
Authors: Piet Smit, Du Plessis
Institution: University of Pretoria
Language: English
Subfield: Marketing
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W87317199