This book presents case studies of the development of videotex in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Sweden, Ireland and the United States. These studies offer an excellent overview of the many factors which might influence the outcome of complex innovation and implementation processes. Videotex is an interlocked innovation comprising not only innovations in the infrastructure (networks, hard- and software) but also an innovation in the supply of services and the user demand. If only one of these elements is absent the entire chain breaks down and the innovation process is hampered. In Europe two different implementation strategies can be distinguished: the Prestel and the Teletel scenarios. Until now, only Teletel has proved successful and only in one country: France. Given this state of affairs the following question is raised - will the relaunch of videotex succeed in countries where the initial Prestel strategy failed? Or will an open market approach, as followed in the United States, present a more direct route to the successful relaunch of videotex in the 1990's.
This collection presents a coherent up-to-date survey and analysis of videotex systems operating throughout Europe. It analyses the use, success, limitations and future of videotex systems and related technologies. The collection will be of interest to computer, information and communication scientists, especially those who work in telecommunication and information management. It also offers case study of information technology policy analysis and as such should be of interest to social and political scientists specialising in technological policy.