In-depth reports explore the year's hottest topics, from economic fear to paranoia over security.
Two dire themes pervaded high technology in 2002: economic fear and paranoia over security.
The first--caused by the industry's inability to recover from the national recession and the dot-com meltdown--led some major companies to turn on themselves, creating internal animosities that often rose to the level of chief executive. No sector was immune to this epidemic, which was felt in such diverse areas as computer hardware, broadband Internet service and online content and Java.
In this hostile climate, even partners were viewed with suspicion. Contracts that had been routinely signed in previous years were subjected to new scrutiny, and for good reason: Large software manufacturers such as Oracle had become the center of controversies involving inflated deals, and cash-strapped customers were on high alert for anything that smacked of overcharging.
Eventually, of course, the true enemy was the competition--and, more often than not for most companies, that meant Microsoft. As old rivals such as Sun Microsystems continued their perennial assaults on the software behemoth, new competitors of all sizes began identifying
To survive the economic squeeze, companies began adopting controversial tactics that sometimes backfired. Spam reached alarming levels across the Internet, for example, and companies desperate to increase revenue began "piggybacking" technologies along with free software downloads to track consumer behavior. Microsoft too was forced to look for painful new solutions, even if they threatened to
All of this gloom in the U.S. technology industry, however, meant opportunity for at least one country on the other side of the world. As companies everywhere looked for new markets and labor forces to manufacture their products as cheaply as possible, China emerged as a global leader in technology, both as a consumer and producer.
Yet even China could not escape the other major issue of the year: security. In the first full calendar year after the Sept. 11 attacks, security was understandably a heightened concern for the high-tech industry, as it was for the rest of society. Hacking became a major preoccupation with many companies and governments, whether it involved such consumer activity as online banking or new trends such as wireless networks.
Hackers themselves began some soul-searching, trying to draw ethical boundaries in a world increasingly intolerant of any security breach that could be exploited by criminals, especially terrorists. Nevertheless, the threat of cyberterrorism remains far more remote than the hype of the mainstream news media.
--Mike Yamamoto![]() | ![]() | |
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Special reports ![]() In-depth reports explore the year's hottest topics.
The first--caused by the industry's inability to recover from the national recession and the dot-com meltdown--led some major companies to turn on themselves, creating internal animosities that often rose to the level of chief executive. No sector was immune to this epidemic, which was felt in such diverse areas as computer hardware, broadband Internet service and online content and Java. In this hostile climate, even partners were viewed with suspicion. Contracts that had been routinely signed in previous years were subjected to new scrutiny, and for good reason: Large software manufacturers such as Oracle had become the center of controversies involving inflated deals, and cash-strapped customers were on high alert for anything that smacked of overcharging.
Eventually, of course, the true enemy was the competition--and, more often than not for most companies, that meant Microsoft. As old rivals such as Sun Microsystems continued their perennial assaults on the software behemoth, new competitors of all sizes began identifying
To survive the economic squeeze, companies began adopting controversial tactics that sometimes backfired. Spam reached alarming levels across the Internet, for example, and companies desperate to increase revenue began "piggybacking" technologies along with free software downloads to track consumer behavior. Microsoft too was forced to look for painful new solutions, even if they threatened to All of this gloom in the U.S. technology industry, however, meant opportunity for at least one country on the other side of the world. As companies everywhere looked for new markets and labor forces to manufacture their products as cheaply as possible, China emerged as a global leader in technology, both as a consumer and producer. Yet even China could not escape the other major issue of the year: security. In the first full calendar year after the Sept. 11 attacks, security was understandably a heightened concern for the high-tech industry, as it was for the rest of society. Hacking became a major preoccupation with many companies and governments, whether it involved such consumer activity as online banking or new trends such as wireless networks. Hackers themselves began some soul-searching, trying to draw ethical boundaries in a world increasingly intolerant of any security breach that could be exploited by criminals, especially terrorists. Nevertheless, the threat of cyberterrorism remains far more remote than the hype of the mainstream news media. --Mike Yamamoto | ![]() | ![]() AT&T's dual role in spotlight February 28, 2002 Spam flood forces desperate measures March 21, 2002 Sun's Java jigsaw puzzle March 28, 2002 Why hackers are a step ahead of the law May 14, 2002 Passwords: The weakest link? May 22, 2002 Your PC's enemy within June 26, 2002 Spotting red flags in large software contracts July 16, 2002 Lights, camera, legislation August 7, 2002 How real is e-terrorism threat? August 26, 2002 A mortal Microsoft October 14, 2002
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