Characteristics of IT Innovation

This paper outlines the results of an interdisciplinary analysis of the characteristics of information technology (IT) and the process by which IT changes (Monk, 1987). The purpose of characteristics analysis, and the reasons for focusing on innovation in IT, are described in section 2 below. IT and information itself are closely related; their technical and economic characteristics are discussed in section 3. Section 4 deals with the process of innovation in IT and its implications for existing concepts of technological change. Finally, a summary of conclusions from the Monk (1987) study is presented in section 5.