The deepest such change is the rise of intangible but talent-intensive assets.

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That might sound like an accounting nicety, but the level of tangible versus intangible assets can impact important things like the satisfying of loan covenants.

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As we currently trust financial institutions to look after our money, the financial industry has an opportunity to look after the more intangible (but no less valuable) digital assets.

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This means that marketing is no longer viewed as merely a tool for building market share or short-term revenues, but is instead considered a strategic investment in building critical intangible assets, such as customer relationship and brand equity, which produce important long-term profits.

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Telecom assets, such as MCI's, become obsolete in four years, but goodwill is an intangible asset that could (at the time) be written off over 40 years.

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