The impending disruption of the publishing industry

Conclusion

In this article, we have attempted to use lessons from other industries to better understand where disruptive technologies are likely to emerge within the publishing industry, and to suggest where companies should focus scarce resources. The leading publishing companies should harness, not fight, the principles of disruption as the industry moves from a chain to a web. Developing internal capabilities to find the “green space” in the industry, and creating or partnering with other organization whose capabilities are consistent with those required to successfully develop and commercialize new technologies, is key. For an accurate evaluation of a company's own organization capability, as well as that of potential partners, we recommend using the RPV model.

History is littered with companies who either failed to identify or mismanaged the introduction of disruptive technologies. We hope that the analysis provided in this article will help industry leaders fortify themselves for the battles that will be waged as waves of disruption begin to break within the publishing industry.