Your company, a large online high school, is planning to implement a new innovative social networking technology for their students. The technology would allow students to get to know one another, network, and participate in school activities, such as having virtual student body elections and virtual student committees. The company feels that the ability to have this type of interaction and involvement among students will set the school above the competition.

As the Chief Innovation Officer, you are responsible for the implementation and evaluation of the chosen technology. The company must decide between developing their own social networking system or acquiring a small online high school that has already started development on a similar type of system and is struggling financially. Your director, the company CEO, has come to you with some specific concerns and questions regarding which technology to select.

Submit a one-page response to your director answering all of the following questions:

1. What factors must be considered when implementing an innovative technology internally? What factors must be considered when implementing an externally acquired innovative techology? How do the implementaion issues differ? How are they the same?

2. What factors must be considered when evaluating an internally implemented innovative technology? Why?

3. What factors must be be considered when acquiring an innovative technology externally? Why?