Even before the era of the WWW, Tapscott and Caston (1993) illustrated that
information technology propels a ‘paradigm shift’, which generates fundamental changes in
the nature and application of technology in business and has far-reaching implications for
organizations and societies. The proliferation of the WWW introduced the ‘age of networked
intelligence’, which brings both promise and peril. This new situation gives birth to a new
economy, new politics and a new society, reinventing businesses, governments and
individuals. The new economy is also a knowledge economy, based on human know-how
and intellect, which adds value to all products and services.