Technological change Information technology has changed dramatically in the last twenty years. The technology has shrunk from the mainframe of 1975, with its dedicated space and data processing manager, to a personal palm top, with the same power, at a fraction of the cost. Increasingly from overseas, providing cheap labour which cannot be automated. Filipino maids, McDonalds attendants, or cheap guest workers. An economy that no longer recognises traditional political boundaries.
Many products are part of the global production line.
In the cost of a GM Pontiac the bulk of the cost goes to South Korea for routine labour and assembly, Japan for advanced technology, Germany for component and specialist design, the UK providing marketing services and Barbados the data processing. The small percentage of value generated in North America is primarily services such as customer support, political lobbying and banking services from New York. Information Technology, Space and Time Architects were brought up to manipulate space, they are less good on planning for time. Information technology has brought space and time together to provide new ways of using space. We are moving into what Adrian Leaman has termed the logistical economy, when with a just in time approach, functions can be spread geographically, linked by telecommunications and excellent transportation systems.