Editorial: technological evolution in society - the evolution of mobile devices

Constant change is a fact of life, both for organisms and businesses. Just as changes in their environment alters the form of successive generations of organisms over time, changing market conditions cause businesses to adapt their product and service offerings. One of the fastest changing technologies is mobile technology, directly affecting how businesses conduct their operations and the products and services they offer in the current business ecosystem. Therefore it is helpful for companies to understand the big-picture forces behind this technological change. Thus we ask if it is possible to view technological innovation as an evolutionary process? Certainly the idea is not a new one [4], [22], however recent developments in evolutionary theory could help strengthen the relationship. Central to these advances is the notion that the influence of organisms on the environment plays a much larger role than previously imagined. Just as in biological systems, there is a large influence of technological innovation on its environment. One of the fastest changing technologies is mobile technology, directly affecting how businesses conduct their operations and the products and services they offer in the current business ecosystem. In this article we will first provide a brief overview of current evolutionary theory, then discuss this theory in the context of technological innovation through the use of recent examples in the mobile technology world.