ABSTRACT
The rail and telecommunications industries were possibly on the vanguard of the industry wave of commoditization. Clearly this is a function of the industries themselves, but also reflects the heavy reliance on technology. The rail industry was born out of the Rainhill trials when George Stephenson bested all comers in demonstrating the viability of a steam driven engine. The origins of the modern telecommunications industry can be traced to the invention of the electric telegraph by Samuel Morse in 1838. Although a number of inventors and engineers experimented with the idea, it was Alexander Graham Bell who was able to develop it to the point where it could be patented and commercialized, which he did in 1876. The invention of the aircraft changed the nature of travel forever and it could be argued that its effect was just as significant as that of the automobile.
