the.world.is.flat-第35章

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engine　is　connected　by　transponder　to　a　satellite　and　is　beaming　data　about　its　
condition　and　performance；　at　all　times；　down　into　a　computer　in　Rolls…Royce's　
operations　room。　That　is　true　of　many　Rolls…Royce　airplane　engines　in　operation。　
Thanks　to　the　artificial　intelligence　in　the　Rolls…Royce　computer；　based　on　complex　
algorithms；　it　can　track　anomalies　in　its　engines　while　in　operation。　The　artificial　
intelligence　in　the　Rolls…Royce　computer　knows　that　this　engine　was　probably　hit　by　
lightning；　and　feeds　out　a　report　to　a　Rolls…Royce　engineer。　
〃With　the　real…time　data　we　receive　via　satellites；　we　can　identify　an　'event'　and　
our　engineers　can　make　remote　diagnoses；〃　said　Rose。　〃Under　normal　circumstances；　
after　an　engine　gets　hit　by　lightning　you　would　have　to　land　the　plane；　call　in　an　
engineer；　do　a　visual　inspection；　and　make　a　decision　about　how　much　damage　might　
have　been　done　and　whether　the　plane　has　to　be　delayed　in　order　to　do　a　repair。　
〃But　remember；　these　airlines　do　not　have　much　turnaround　time。　If　

this　plane　is　delayed；　you　throw　off　the　crews；　you　drop　out　of　your　position　to　fly　
back　home。　It　gets　very　costly。　We　can　monitor　and　analyze　engine　performance　
automatically　in　real　time；　with　our　engineers　making　decisions　about　exactly　what　
is　needed　by　the　time　the　plane　has　landed。　And　if　we　can　determine　by　all　the　
information　we　have　about　the　engine　that　no　intervention　or　even　inspection　is　needed；　
the　airplane　can　return　on　schedule；　and　that　saves　our　customers　time　and　money。〃　
Engines　talking　to　computers；　talking　to　people；　talking　backto　the　engines；　followed　
by　people　talking　to　people…all　done　from　anywhere　to　anywhere。　That　is　what　happens　
when　all　the　flatteners　start　to　get　tur…bocharged　by　all　the　steroids。　
Can　you　hear　me　now？　

：：：：：　THREE　
The　Triple　Convergence　
What　is　the　triple　convergence？　In　order　to　explain　what　I　mean；　let　me　tell　a　personal　
story　and　share　one　of　my　favorite　television　commercials。　


The　story　took　place　in　March　2004。　I　had　made　plans　to　fly　from　Baltimore　to　Hartford　
on　Southwest　Airlines　to　visit　my　daughter　Orly；　who　goes　to　school　in　New　Haven；　
Connecticut。　Being　a　tech…sawy　guy；　I　didn't　bother　with　a　paper　ticket　but　ordered　
an　e…ticketthrough　American　Express。　As　anyone　who　flies　regularly　on　Southwest　knows；　
the　cheapo　airline　has　no　reserved　seats。　When　you　check　in；　your　ticket　says　simply　
A；　B；　or　C；　with　the　As　boarding　first；　the　Bs　boarding　second；　and　the　Cs　boarding　
last。　As　veterans　of　Southwest　also　know；　you　do　not　want　to　be　a　C。　If　you　are；　you　
will　almost　certainly　end　up　in　a　middle　seat　with　no　space　to　put　your　carry…ons　
in　the　overhead　bin。　If　you　want　to　sit　in　a　window　or　aisle　seat　and　be　able　to　store　
your　stuff；　you　want　to　be　an　A。　Since　I　was　carrying　some　bags　of　clothing　for　my　
daughter；　I　definitely　wanted　to　be　an　A。　So　I　got　up　early　to　make　sure　I　got　to　
the　Baltimore　airport　ninety…five　minutes　before　my　scheduled　departure。　I　walked　
up　to　the　Southwest　Airlines　e…ticket　machine；　stuck　in　my　credit　card；　and　used　the　
touch　screen　to　get　my　ticket…a　thoroughly　modern　man；　right？　Well；　out　came　the　ticket　
and　it　said　B。　
I　was　fuming。　〃How　in　the　world　could　I　be　a　B？〃　I　said　to　myself；　looking　at　my　watch。　
〃There　is　no　way　that　many　people　got　here　before　me。　This　thing　is　rigged！　This　is　
fixed！　This　is　nothing　more　than　a　slot　machine！〃　

I　stomped　off；　went　through　security；　bought　a　Cinnabon；　and　glumly　sat　at　the　back　
of　the　B　line；　waiting　to　be　herded　on　board　so　I　could　hunt　for　space　in　the　overhead　
bins。　Forty　minutes　later；　the　flight　was　called。　From　the　B　line；　I　enviously　watched　
all　the　As　file　on　board　ahead　of　me；　with　a　certain　barely　detectable　air　of　
superiority。　And　then　I　saw　it。　
Many　of　the　people　in　the　A　line　didn't　have　normal　e…tickets　like　mine。　They　were　
just　carrying　what　looked　to　me　like　crumpled　pieces　of　white　printer　paper；　but　they　
weren't　blank。　They　had　boarding　passes　and　bar　codes　printed　on　them；　as　if　the　As　
had　downloaded　their　boarding　passes　off　the　Internet　at　home　and　printed　them　out　
on　their　home　printers。　Which；　I　quickly　learned；　was　exactly　what　they　had　done。　
I　didn't　know　it；　but　Southwest　had　recently　announced　that　beginning　at　12：01　a。m。　
the　night　before　a　flight；　you　could　download　your　ticket　at　home；　print　it　out；　and　
then　just　have　the　bar　code　scanned　by　the　gate　agent　before　you　boarded。　
〃Friedman；〃　I　said　to　myself；　looking　at　this　scene；　〃you　are　so　twentieth…century　。　。　。　
You　are　so　Globalization　2。0。〃　In　Globalization　1。0　there　was　a　ticket　agent。　In　
Globalization　2。0　the　e…ticket　machine　replaced　the　ticket　agent。　In　Globalization　

3。0　you　are　your　own　ticket　agent。　
The　television　commercial　is　from　Konica　Minolta　Business　Technologies　for　a　new　
multipurpose　device　it　sells　called　bizhub；　a　piece　of　office　machinery　that　allows　
you　to　do　black…and…white　or　color　printing；　copy　a　document；　fax　it；　scan　it；　scan　
it　to　e…mail；　or　Internet…fax　it…all　from　the　same　machine。　The　commercial　begins　
with　a　rapid　cutting　back　and　forth　between　two　guys；　one　in　his　office　and　the　other　
standing　at　the　bizhub　machine。　They　are　close　enough　to　talk　by　raising　their　voices。　
Dom　is　senior　in　authority　but　slow　on　the　uptake…the　kind　of　guy　who　hasn't　kept　
up　with　changing　technology　（my　kind　of　guy！）。　He　can　see　Ted　standing　at　the　bizhub　

machine　when　he　leans　back　in　his　chair　and　peers　out　his　office　doorway。　
Dom：　（At　his　desk）　Hey；　I　need　that　chart。　Ted：　（At　the　bizhub）　I'm　e…mailing　it　now。　
175　
Dom：　You're　e…mailing　from　the　copy　machine？　
Ted：　No；　I'm　e…mailing　from　bizhub。　
Dom：　Bizhub？　Wait；　did　you　make　my　copies　yet？　
Ted：　Right　after　I　scan　this。　
Dom：　You're　scanning　at　an　e…mail　machine？　
Ted：　E…mail　machine？　I'm　at　the　bizhub　machine。　
Dom：　（Bewildered）　Copying？　
Ted：　（Trying　to　be　patient）　E…mailing；　then　scanning；　then　copying。　
Dom：　（Long　pause）　Bizhub？　
VO：　（Over　an　animated　graphic　of　bizhub　illustrating　its　multiple　functions）　Amazing　
versatility　and　affordable　color。　That's　bizhub；　from　Konica　Minolta。　
（Cut　to　Dom　alone　at　the　bizhub　machine；　trying　to　see　if　it　will　also　dispense　coffee　
into　his　mug。）　
Southwest　was　able　to　offer　its　at…home　ticketing；　and　Konica　Minolta　could　offer　
bizhub；　because　of　what　I　call　the　triple　convergence。　What　are　the　components　of　
this　triple　convergence？　The　short　answer　is　this：　First；　right　around　the　year　2000；　
all　ten　of　the　flatteners　discussed　in　the　previous　chapter　started　to　converge　and　
work　together　in　ways　that　created　a　new；　flatter；　global　playing　field。　As　this　new　
playing　field　became　established；　both　businesses　and　individuals　began　to　adopt　new　
habits；　skills；　and　processes　to　get　the　most　out　of　it。　They　moved　from　largely　
vertical　means　of　creating　value　to　more　horizontal　ones。　The　merger　of　this　new　
playing　field　for　doing　business　with　the　new　ways　of　doing　business　was　the　second　
convergence；　and　it　actually　helped　to　flatten　the　world　even　further。　Finally；　just　
when　all　of　this　flattening　was　happening；　a　whole　new　group　of　people；　several　billion；　
in　fact；　walked　out　onto　the　playing　field　from　China；　India；　and　the　former　Soviet　
Empire。　Thanks　to　the　new　flat　world；　and　its　new　tools；　some　of　them　were　quickly　
able　to　collaborate　and　compete　directly　with　everyone　else。　This　was　the　third　
convergence。　Now　let's　look　at　each　in　detail。　
176　
Convergence　I　
All　ten　flatteners　discussed　in　the　previous　chapter　have　been　around；　we　know；　since　
the　1990s；　if　not　earlier。　But　they　had　to　spread　and　take　root　and　connect　with　one　
another　to　work　their　magic　on　the　world。　For　instance；　at　some　point　around　2003；　
Southwest　Airlines　realized　that　there　were　enough　PCs　around；　enough　bandwidth；　
enough　computer　storage；　enough　Internet…comfortable　customers；　and　enough　software　
know…how　for　Southwest　to　create　a　work　flow　system　that　empowered　its　customers　to　
download　and　print　out　their　own　boarding　passes　at　home；　as　easily　as　downloading　
a　piece　of　e…mail。　Southwest　could　collaborate　with　its　customers　and　they　with　
Southwest　in　a　new　way。　And　somewhere　around　the　same　time；　the　work　flow　software　
and　hardware　converged　in　a　way　that　enabled　Konica　Minolta　to　offer　scanning；　
e…mailing；　printing；　faxing；　and　copying　all　from　the　same　machine。　This　is　the　first　


convergence。　
As　Stanford　University　economist　Paul　Romer　pointed　out；　economists　have　known　for　
a　long　time　that　〃there　are　goods　that　are　complementary…whereby　good　A　is　a　lot　more　
valuable　if　you　also　have　good　B。　It　was　good　to　have　paper　and　then　it　was　good　to　
have　pencils；　and　soon　as　you　got　more　of　one　you　got　more　of　the　other；　and　as　you　
got　a　better　quality　of　one　and　better　quality　of　the　other；　your　productivity　improved。　
This　is　known　as　the　simultaneous　improvement　of　complementary　goods。〃
It　is　my　contention　that　the　opening　of　the　Berlin　Wall；　Netscape；　work　flow；
outsourcing；　offshoring；　open…sourcing；　insourcing；　supply…chaining；　in…forming；
and　the　steroids　amplifying　them　all　reinforced　one　another；　like　complementary　goods。
They　just　needed　time　to　converge　and　start　to　work　together　in　a　complementary；
mutually　enhancing　fashion。　That　tipping　point　arrived　sometime　around　the　year　2000。
The　net　result　of　this　convergence　was　the　creation　of　a　global；　Web…enabled　playing　
field　that　allows　for　multiple　forms　of　collaboration…the　sharing　of　knowledge　and　
work…in　real　time；　without　regard　to　geography；　distance；　or；　in　the　near　future；　
even　language。　No；　not　everyone　has　access　yet　to　this　platform；　this　playing　field；　
but　it　is　open　today　to　more　people　in　more　places　on　more　days　in　more　ways　than
anything　like　it　ever　before


in　the　history　of　the　world。　This　is　what　I　mean　when　I　say　the　world　has　been　flattened。
It　is　the　complementary　convergence　of　the　ten　flatteners；　creating　this　new　global
playing　field　for　multiple　forms　of　collaboration。
Convergence　II　
Great；　you　say；　but　why　is　it　only　in　the　past　few　years　that　we　started　to　see　in　
the　United　States　the　big　surges　in　productivity　that　should　be　associated　with　such
a　technological　leap？　Answer：　Because　it　always　takes　time　for　all　the　flanking　
technologies；　and　the　business　processes　and　habits　needed　to　get　the　most　out　of　
them；　to　converge　and　create　that　next　productivity　breakthrough。
Introducing　new　technology　alone　is　never　enough。　The　big　spurts　in　productivity　come　
when　a　new　technology　is　combined　with　new　ways　of　doing　business。　Wal…Mart　got　big
productivity　boosts　when　it　combined　big　box　stores…where　people　could　buy　soap
supplies　for　six　months…with　new；　horizontal　supply…chain　management　systems　that
allowed　Wal…Mart　instantly　to　connect　what　a　consumer　took　off　the　shelf　from　a　
Wal…Mart　in　Kansas　City　with　what　a　Wal…Mart　supplier　in　coastal　China　would　produce。　
When　computers　were　first　introduced　into　offices；　everyone　expected　a　big　boost　in　
productivity。　But　that　did　not　happen　right　away；　and　it　sparked　both　disappointment　
and　a　little　confusion。　The　noted　economist　Robert　Solow　quippe