Karl Ulrich - Faculty Research in Knowledge@Wharton

As Smartphones Proliferate, Will One Company Emerge as the Clear Market Winner?

Wed, 27 May 2009 17:04:13 EST

Just as computer operating systems vied for dominance back in the late 1970s and early 1980s, smartphone makers these days are jostling for market share, hoping that their mix of capabilities -- ranging from web surfing to email to calendar management -- will ensure them a critical mass of customers. What the makers of such mobile devices as the BlackBerry, iPhone and Treo are trying to avoid is the outcome of that earlier race, when one company -- Microsoft -- ended up the dominant player.

A World Transformed: What Are the Top 30 Innovations of the Last 30 Years?

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:51:20 EST

Is it possible to determine which 30 innovations have changed life most dramatically during the past 30 years? That is the question that Nightly Business Report, the Emmy Award-winning PBS business program, and Knowledge@Wharton set out to answer to celebrate NBR's 30^th anniversary this year. The list includes innovations from the world of technology, health care, energy and even finance. Can you guess which one is No. 1?

The Net Impact of Netbooks? It Depends on Who Uses Them for What

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 12:18:24 EST

Small, inexpensive netbooks -- portable computers smaller than notebooks but dependent on the Internet for file-storage and software -- are likely to have a disruptive impact on the PC industry, but there are many questions to resolve, experts say. Will netbooks poach sales of laptops? Are they replacements for smartphones? How will a weak economy affect sales? Will the devices increase the popularity of cloud computing? Stay tuned as this new technology continues to evolve.

It's a Breeze: European Firms Bring Years of Experience to U.S. Wind Power Market

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 16:48:07 EST

European wind-power firms see an opportunity in the United States' increasing interest in alternative energy. Indeed, the inroads that electricity-generating wind turbine technology has made in the U.S. are due in large part to the efforts of companies based in Europe. Gamesa, Siemens and others ply their expertise in a country where public policy has not consistently encouraged domestic investment.

Bridging the Global Digital Divide, One Laptop at a Time

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:25:47 EST

On May 20, the non-profit One Laptop per Child (OLPC) program unveiled the second version of its XO laptop, which is designed to bring affordable, modern technology to children in developing countries. In April, Intel announced its next-generation Classmate PC, which targets the same market. Meanwhile, Microsoft has been tweaking its Windows XP operating system for these educational devices, which also run on the open source Linux operating system. Experts at Wharton say that the focus on third world countries is promising, but they question whether these efforts will be effective.

An Earful on Ethanol: Rising Food Prices, Inefficient Production and Other Problems

Wed, 28 May 2008 14:38:10 EST

Just a year ago, ethanol was the renewable fuel of the moment. Derived mostly from corn grown in America's heartland, it was promoted as a home-grown ticket to energy independence for the U.S. and other oil-importing nations. Today, however, ethanol's prospects look somewhat cloudy. Critics around the world are crying foul over rising food prices, while others say that it takes more resources to create ethanol than the alternative fuel provides. According to experts at Wharton and elsewhere, ethanol underscores the hazards involved in the development of any new energy source, where failure to understand the broader impact of production can result in unintended consequences.

Getting Credit for a Novel Approach to Offsetting Auto Emissions

Wed, 23 Mar 2005 12:10:33 EST

When Wharton professor Karl Ulrich began thinking about ways to compensate for the pollution he caused in everyday life -- including auto emissions -- he came up with a novel idea, which he eventually pitched to the 41 students in his "Problem Solving, Design and System Improvement" class. The result is a new company called TerraPass. It works by selling memberships to people based on how much carbon dioxide their cars emit over the course of a year. The revenues from those sales are then invested in clean power and pollution reduction. So far, the company has negotiated three pollution-cutting deals and sold more than 300 memberships. If Terrapass starts to build momentum, Ulrich says, "It could have a huge impact" on the environment.

The New Age of Service Robots: From Fighting Fires to Serving Beer

Wed, 20 Nov 2002 00:00:00 EST

R2-D2 and Rosie the robot maid may be coming soon to a home, or nursing home, near you. Thanks to advances in computing and navigation technology, robots � including sophisticated robot toys and appliances � are now being developed to serve people directly. While some critics suggest enthusiasm for personal androids may be overblown, others see a future where robots tackle dangerous tasks like firefighting and eventually start caring for the elderly, even those who are having a bad day. As one expert says: �One thing about a robot; it has a thick skin.�

A New Approach to Valuing Biotech Stocks

Wed, 24 Oct 2001 00:00:00 EST

Now that the U.S. faces a bioterrorist attack in the shape of anthrax, stocks of biotechnology companies are soaring. But while these companies have promising technologies, they are years away from profits. The boomlet shows, however, how hard it is to value biotech stocks. Analysts often use proxy drivers such as the number of patents or the dollar value of partnerships to value such companies, but these drivers fail to show if the companies will be able to turn their research into marketable products. Research by Karl Ulrich, a Wharton professor of operations and information management, and other colleagues offers insights into a new approach to value biotech companies. Hint: Look at how the company�s drug discovery process is organized.