The product is dead - Long live the product-service!

optimize product cycle time, producers of high-tech products long ago began marketing before they had fully specified the product. Now, they may no lo nger finalize the physical specification at all. We can thus proclaim, "The product is dead, " which implies the substitution of expert service for fe atures, information, and capabilities that used to be intrinsic to the tang ible product. Companies are finding that dispensing with the idea of produc t remains one of the few ways-if not the only way-of compressing the techno logy cycle still further. By adapting to customers' needs and by reducing i nformation overload a comprehensive package of tangible goods, service and information can serve customers better than a traditional product.