Transformations  in
Business & Economics

LEADING TRENDS OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT - CASE STUDY OF IBM
Ewa Okon-Horodynska, Rafal Wisla, Tomasz Sierotowicz

ABSTRACT. The development of innovation through businesses of the ICT sector changes, as ever, the way a society functions. Inventions generated in the ICT sector are used in other economic sectors, as well as in the areas of social life. The phenomenon significantly hampers a thorough analysis of the importance of ICT sector in a multi-dimensional development of information society (IS). Therefore, capturing the category of information society is still a challenge to scientific cognizance. One of the characteristics of modern society is the ability to use the computer network systems, in particular the Internet, for the rapid exchange of information, or making purchases. Today is characterized by preparation, competence and ability to use information systems to purchase transmission services and remote processing of information. These new categories, forms and phenomena also allude to scientific cognizance. The answer to this is a constant search for ways to capture the categories of information society (IS). There is a consensus in the search of rational and yet in-depth analysis of the IS development process, in which the leading role in the IS development is granted to ICT industry. Thus, it is very often the basis for the analysis of the potential and the level of information society development. In studies concerning the ICT sector, not only the data on production are used, but also other characteristics describing the sector, including patent activity which indicates the direction of technological development today and in the future. This article raises the hypothesis that the convergence of the identified IPC classes, most strongly exploited by both, the European Union countries and one of the leading global companies of the ICT sector, suggests that the development of information society is not only highly correlated with the ICT sector, but also significantly depends on an identifiable, relatively small number of technological areas. As a result of the adopted research procedure, it was found that the leading technologies, which constitute the material basis of the IS development are digital computing, data processing equipment, arrangements for program control, processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor.

KEYWORDS: innovations, inventions, managing innovation and R&D, patents applications.

JEL classification: O31, O32, O34, O39.