| In the information industry, as in any commercial | | | | support that Iraq and Afghanistan will be soon |
| industry, the one that sets the price has the | | | | able to export minds, not products. The |
| ultimate responsibility of directing attention, while | | | | interesting part is that these new markets, have |
| focusing on minimizing costs and maximizing | | | | already found willing buyers whose interests are |
| returns. Traditionally this role and the control it | | | | directed by the same controlling power from |
| entailed belonged to the corporation. In recent | | | | which private corporations have benefited in the |
| years, the customer has realized the purchase | | | | past. The United States offers the training to the |
| power entailed to the individual's role and has | | | | gifted elite of these underdeveloped countries, |
| evolved from the ultimate firm's target to a | | | | whose minds will work later as inside agents for |
| valuable mechanism of the overall distribution | | | | U.S. national interests. These brighter people will in |
| channel. | | | | turn educate others so as to continue to produce |
| Today people exchange goods and information via | | | | for the huge target markets of the developed |
| alternative markets like the Internet, over special | | | | world. This is an interesting outcome of a series |
| host-sites like e-Bay, or even through spam. This | | | | of events. The country that sets this new |
| newly adopted reality regarding the emerging role | | | | network will be the one that will benefit the most, |
| of customer's control over the distribution process | | | | like in the case of the first-comer benefits of the |
| even for otherwise meaningless commodities, has | | | | Venice commercial era. New networks, |
| added value to the process itself while eliminating | | | | outsourcing and national economic outcomes will |
| cost related issues from the sender to the | | | | foster this change and create a fertile ground |
| receiver. This challenging new category of | | | | upon which new emergences will take place. |
| exchange has created a new demand of capable | | | | These blurred boundaries between production, |
| consumer networks in order to host new needs | | | | distribution and consumption have released a new |
| and take over control from the otherwise | | | | dynamic principle that genuinely challenges present |
| powerful corporations. At the same time, the | | | | generations and contemporary markets. Since the |
| vast market of everyday Internet users has | | | | issue remains maximization of profits and control, |
| shifted the information distribution channel further, | | | | international relations are in the viewfinder of |
| to the point where open systems are becoming a | | | | national attempts to decrease trade barriers and |
| new trend and information is valued separately | | | | increase interconnection. The emerging network |
| and over the actual product or service offered. | | | | interdependencies, fostered by the major positive |
| In the new agenda of the Department of State, | | | | externalities that have been recognized by the |
| another market shift has already created a new | | | | industry's professionals, have created new |
| segment for the U.S. corporations, where the | | | | systems of distribution where the seller is at the |
| service in quest is that of cheap computer | | | | same time the buyer and the processor of the |
| programming. Countries like China and India, of | | | | requested information. Consequently, the issue |
| great economic importance for the U.S. national | | | | now remains which are the key market |
| interests, have already assigned themselves as | | | | objectives of this emerging networked |
| the new users and at the same time future | | | | environment. |
| developers of innovative technologies and some | | | | |