ABSTRACT
The economies of Central and Eastern Europe face a multidimensional transition. They face the challenge of transition to market economy, the insertion into the capitalist world economy and the transition to a new techno-economic paradigm. The history of technological revolutions and phases of capitalist restructuring may provide lessons for understanding the current transformation in modes of development. From the late sixties onwards, information technologies and technologies for computer networking emerged. The subsequent gradual convergence of innovations in computer and telecommunication technology enabled the explosion in computer networking. Information technologies have led to an acceleration of the intra and inter-enterprise division of labour, at the same time contributing to organisational efficiency and productivity gains. In USA, since the late 1970s firms extended computer networking beyond the company's wall, sending and receiving purchase orders, invoices and shipping notifications electronically via EDI. The description of the current revolution in modes of production is based on what is happening in the most advanced economies.
