Brand recognition can help to win the allegiance of non-technical executives, raising the barriers to smaller, more obscure rivals that might be able to compete either on technology or on marketing, but not both.

ECONOMIST: High-tech brands

The technical jargon for this is barriers to entry.

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To carry out greater participation in the American market, it needs relaxation of visa barriers so that appropriate Korean managerial and technical talent can enter the U.S. That type of access also is falling victim to the current American insularity.

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She identified the four major barriers for women: cost, culture, technical literacy and perceived lack of need.

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Because of higher costs and technical barriers to widespread clean energy adoption, efforts to move the U.S. energy system away from fossil fuels towards clean energy alternatives inevitably comes with a significant price tag.

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With the advent of What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) tools like Blogger.com and the ubiquity of easy-to-use but sophisticated programs like iTunes, technical and economic barriers to mass adoption continue to get lower.

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The EU says the deal will focus on bringing down remaining tariffs and other barriers to trade, and standardise technical regulations and certifications.

BBC: EU and US free-trade talks launched

He said the deal would focus on bringing down remaining tariffs and other barriers to trade, and standardise technical regulations, standards and certifications.

BBC: EU and US free-trade talks launched