Book Description

Information is power-and in financial markets that power has long belonged to intermediaries responsible for managing the exchange of information among clients. But now, technology has made information simultaneously and easily accessible to all through a simple Internet connection. Moreover, technology has codified many practices that once relied solely on human relationships and judgment, transforming the control of industry know-how and intellectual property, the structure of the financial markets, and ultimately, the makeup of the entire marketplace for information. In the midst of the so-called new economy, the evolution of financial markets provides a time-tested guide to how and why intermediaries and the information they work with are evolving along with technology. It also convincingly proves that these information intermediaries-or infomediaries, -will not soon be replaced. In Information Markets , finance industry experts William J. Wilhelm Jr. and Joseph D. Downing systematically explore the interplay between human capital and information technology in financial markets, and distill critical lessons for strategists in other information-rich businesses, including health care, law, entertainment, and publishing. The authors explain that technological advances have upset the delicate balance between an innovator's incentives for discovery (profiting from ideas) and the interests of society at large (information "wants to be free"). They provide a durable framework for understanding the tensions that arise in information-intensive markets, and how organizations adapt to these tensions in the face of continuous technological change. The authors also describe how intermediaries resolve coordination problems according to long-established economic rules and experience, explain how the evolution of the intermediary function will affect the enforcement of intellectual property rights, and identify new opportunities organizations can exploit to create value and fuel innovation. For any business dependent on information exchange, this timely book explains the vital role of the intermediary in today's global marketplace.