One way is to ensure that the professional recognizes she is better off within the firm than outside it. Creating a database of client problems and recommended solutions can be of considerable value to professionals working within the firm. The professional benefits from not having to reinvent the wheel, and instead can use her time to add value to the client. As both the professional and the client would potentially lose a great deal from leaving the network, there is a clear incentive not to defect. While the Information Era has increased the size of the market for many firms, it has reduced their ability to segment on the basis of level of ignorance.
Consumers now can comparison shop with the click of a mouse.
As more and more third-party firms use the information architecture to synthesize information, their ability to influence a purchase increases considerably and raises the value of their brand at the expense of both the manufacturer and retailer. The rapidity with which information diffuses has significant implications for innovation and the ability to protect innovations. As the time available to capture the returns from innovation rapidly decreases, more and more companies are forced to move first and establish their offerings as the de facto standard, as did Netscape with its browser launch. Fast companies are rewarded, and laggards generally tend to be losers. No firm, however dominant, can rest on its laurels.