By 2009, just 30 years after they have been commercially introduced cell phones were used by billions of people around the world. This note considers the development of the wireless telecommunications industry, with particular emphasis on the role of intellectual property rights and technical standards. Throughout the history of the industry, companies that own intellectual property (IP), lobbied for the standards to be adopted, which included their IP. After the standards were adopted, a company with a strong IP position were placed to reap significant financial rewards. This has led to intense competition for process standards. This note covers developments since 2009, including work on standards for the fourth generation (4G) cellular systems. However, the main focus is on the early struggle between TDMA and CDMA technology, Qualcomm and role in influencing the standard setting process. "Hide
by Robert A. Burgelman, Margaret Labrecque, David W. Hoyt, Amanda Silverman Source: Stanford Graduate School of Business 28 pages. Publication Date: August 18, 2009. Prod. #: SM177-PDF-ENG
Related Case Solutions & Analyses:
Killing Craigslist: Entrepreneurship in the Online Apartment Rental Market
The Britney Spears Universe: Social Media and Viral Marketing at its Best
If You cant beat them let them join: The Development of Strategies to Foster Consumers Co-Creative practices
JCDecaux
Liston Mechanics Corp.
Intel’s Pentium: When the Chips are Down (A), Spanish Version
TA Energy (Turkey): A Bundle of International Partnerships
The Ascendance of AirAsia: Building a Successful Budget Airline in Asia
Travelers Bond Construction Services Redesign
Apple Inc.
