IT Industry and enviromental forces that drive changes

WOW! Isn't your question much too broad to be answered? After all, the influences and needs are uniquely driven by each company and situation. There is and will not be a single reference or factor that can answer your question. There are simply too many variables at any given time. By the way, is this a serious question? It doesn't really sound like it.

Homework maybe :-)   I guess he had no problem coming up with political and commercial factors which affect IT.
Or a research project.

Let's see...  if a certain tsunami strikes a certain shoreline where a certain freighter is unloading a year's supply of new RDRAM modules, and that vessel is certainly destroyed, that would drive the IT industry to raise the price somewhat on RDRAM.  

Or, say a certain Godzilla makes it his mission to stomp out each and every Microsoft software distribution point on the globe.  That might drive people to an arguably more stable OS like Linux.

Hmm...  oh, what was your question again??

I'm convinced it's the desire to have computers like those on Star Trek that "drives the IT industry."

I needed to know the main environmental forces that drive IT industry changes.....none of the above answers my question, and so I email a friend and he was able to answer the question.

That's just it, networkman: there are no cut-and-dry factors to pinpoint, and the entire industry is practically in its infancy as far as possibilities.

Guys, the friend that answered my question stated and listed both the external and the internal forces that drive changes in the IT industry, so next time I ask for a list please list any answers specifically.