Multidimensional Assessment of Emerging Technologies: Case of Next Generation Internet and Online Gaming Application

The Internet has changed the world in many ways. Online communications, financial and business-to-business transactions, electronic shopping, banking, and entertainment have become the norm in the digital age. The combined package of technologies that comprise the Internet—the information superhighway—have made all of this possible. The aging technological infrastructure that supports these webs of interconnected networks is being stressed to its performance limits. Recent advances in the backbone infrastructure that supports the Internet have helped alleviate some of these problems, but more challenges lie ahead for solving technology-related performance bottlenecks for many online applications, including high-definition interactive gaming. In this paper, the authors developed a technology assessment through multiple perspectives. While different components of the technology such as applications, protocols and network components are identified, other impact areas such as market and management are also evaluated. Elements of user behavior are evaluated within the market perspective. Evaluating technologies through these dimensions concurrently provides a balanced assessment among technical, economical, social and political factors.