Britain has produced too few world-class technology firms. Is that about to change?

The virtual cycle—where users flock to a single technology “platform”—is what sets the world’s best technology businesses apart. Very few of the leading outfits are British. Dozens are American. Microsoft’s success rests on the ubiquity of its operating system; Intel is a giant because its personal-computer chips are the industry standard; Google is first choice for web trawlers in part because its results are derived from a greater number of searches than its rivals’; Facebook has become the global hub for social networking.

The digital economy is thriving in Britain, which spends more online per head of population than any other country, says the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Yet it has few world-renowned firms serving the internet consumer. Read More.