Local Externalities and Societal Adoption of Technologies.

In this paper we study the effect of local network externalities on the societal adoption of competing technologies. Three cases are examined: single non-sponsored technology, single sponsored technology, and two non-sponsored technologies. The efficiency and predictability of the technology adoption process for each case is investigated. We demonstrate non-predictability for single technology case and efficiency for the two technology case. We show the firm sponsoring a technology may choose a strategy that leads to the extinction of the technology.