The World Is Flat After All Summary
In his article, “The World is Flat, After All”, Friedman discusses the progression of the world via Globalization. Starting from the initial age of Globalization between 1942 and 1800 when countries were globalizing for resources and imperial conquest, to the secondary age with the corporate revolution (1800-2000), and finally, to today’s era of globalization that is not limited to where you live, what race you are, or how much money you have. Each stage of globalization brought about change by new technologies used in business and everyday life. The article highlights multiple points in history where cutting edge technology further globalized the world, such as the Microsoft Windows operating system, the undersea-underground fiber network, and the use of outsourcing. The most important part of Friedman’s article “The World is Flat, After All” is that the playing field for people, businesses, and countries is being leveled through globalization due to the many technological
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advances that are shaking up history; making it possible for anyone, anywhere to communicate, create, and innovate. Shortly after the knocking down of the Berlin Wall in 1989, a major liaison of globalization came forth. Microsoft released the “Windows 3.0 operating system”, flattening the playing field by creating a global computer interface. This interface allowed for the creation of new software and facilitating programs to be created on computers. This interface further sparked globalization by creating a platform for people to continue to innovate and create technology that would flatten the playing field and end the difficulties of long distance communication and group cooperation. Although computers allowed for a more level playing field than before, this technology was expensive, lacking the proper software, and internet access was nowhere near as widely available as it is today.
However, a new creation flatten the playing field exponentially. In 1995 Netscape went public, bringing new software and hardware for computers to the playing field. Netscape “brought the Internet alive” with the creation of the browser to display images and data stored on Web sites. Additionally, Netscape triggered the massive overinvestment of billions of dollars in fiber-optic telecommunications cable. These fiber-optic cable “drove down the cost of transmitting voices, data and images to practically zero, which in turn accidentally made Boston, Bangalore and Beijing next-door neighbors overnight.” Communication was expedited like never before. Now anyone with a computer and access to the internet had the ability to communicate and innovate, enhancing the efficiency of people and
businesses. Following the construction of fiber-optic telecommunications cable, came another factor further globalizing the world. Friedman calls this advancement “Workflow” which represents “all the software applications, standards and electronic transmission pipes, like middleware, that connected all those computers and fiber-optic cable.” Workflow connected applications to applications, allowing for people on computers to work together in “manipulating and shaping words, data and images on computers like never before.” Workflow created outsourcing, thus in return leveling the playing field even more so for people in all around the world. Outsourcing is saving businesses money and growing economies of third world countries. Additionally, in some cases companies are “not just outsourcing to save on salary,” “they can often get better-skilled and more productive people than their American workers.” Over time the world has increasingly become more globalized due to technological innovations. The marquee events of the Microsoft operating system, the construction of the underground fiber-optic cables, and the so called advancement of “Workflow” all exponentially globalized the world. Globalization has brought about hyper a competitive playing field, due to equalizing technologies. Now people from all walks of life in any area of the world have the same information and access as those in wealth and privileges areas.
advances that are shaking up history; making it possible for anyone, anywhere to communicate, create, and innovate. Shortly after the knocking down of the Berlin Wall in 1989, a major liaison of globalization came forth. Microsoft released the “Windows 3.0 operating system”, flattening the playing field by creating a global computer interface. This interface allowed for the creation of new software and facilitating programs to be created on computers. This interface further sparked globalization by creating a platform for people to continue to innovate and create technology that would flatten the playing field and end the difficulties of long distance communication and group cooperation. Although computers allowed for a more level playing field than before, this technology was expensive, lacking the proper software, and internet access was nowhere near as widely available as it is today.
However, a new creation flatten the playing field exponentially. In 1995 Netscape went public, bringing new software and hardware for computers to the playing field. Netscape “brought the Internet alive” with the creation of the browser to display images and data stored on Web sites. Additionally, Netscape triggered the massive overinvestment of billions of dollars in fiber-optic telecommunications cable. These fiber-optic cable “drove down the cost of transmitting voices, data and images to practically zero, which in turn accidentally made Boston, Bangalore and Beijing next-door neighbors overnight.” Communication was expedited like never before. Now anyone with a computer and access to the internet had the ability to communicate and innovate, enhancing the efficiency of people and
businesses. Following the construction of fiber-optic telecommunications cable, came another factor further globalizing the world. Friedman calls this advancement “Workflow” which represents “all the software applications, standards and electronic transmission pipes, like middleware, that connected all those computers and fiber-optic cable.” Workflow connected applications to applications, allowing for people on computers to work together in “manipulating and shaping words, data and images on computers like never before.” Workflow created outsourcing, thus in return leveling the playing field even more so for people in all around the world. Outsourcing is saving businesses money and growing economies of third world countries. Additionally, in some cases companies are “not just outsourcing to save on salary,” “they can often get better-skilled and more productive people than their American workers.” Over time the world has increasingly become more globalized due to technological innovations. The marquee events of the Microsoft operating system, the construction of the underground fiber-optic cables, and the so called advancement of “Workflow” all exponentially globalized the world. Globalization has brought about hyper a competitive playing field, due to equalizing technologies. Now people from all walks of life in any area of the world have the same information and access as those in wealth and privileges areas.