Old Technologies Never Die, They Just Don't Get Updated

Abstract

The paper examines the rise and fall of old technologies and their replacement by new ones, using the examples of telex and facsimile transmission replaced by email. The performance of old technologies may fall, due for example to increased costs, and this may encourage the development of new ones. Old technologies may respond to the challenge by improving services, reducing charges or their providers may move to alternative fields as for example the gas industry moved from lighting to heating with the increased availability of electric lighting. New technologies may develop when the transmission medium is improved, as with the increase in transmission rate of data on telephone lines.

Keywords:

• TELEX
• FACSIMILE TRANSMISSION
• BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
• TECHNOLOGY CYCLES
• LEGAL STATUS OF MESSAGES
• STAFF SKILLS
• TRANSMISSION STANDARDS