Infrastructural technologies, however, “offer more value when shared than when in isolation”. In
the early stages of build-out, an infrastructural technology can provide companies with a strategic advantage in the near-term. “As long as access to the technology is restricted—through physical limitations, intellectual property rights, high costs, or a lack of standards—a company can use it to gain advantage over rivals.” Executives often make the mistake of believing that these advantages will be available indefinitely. Once a technology’s potential is appreciated, investment capital will follow, and the build-out will accelerate exponentially, thus closing the strategic advantage window of opportunity.