While there are industries where it makes sense to allow duopolies or even monopolies to obtain economies of scale and network effects computer operating systems and electric utilities might be two examples the tradeoff usually is that they must accept closer government regulation to prevent price-gouging and other abuses.

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He says that Visa has a great brand, a huge network and one of the most powerful, reliable computer systems on the planet.

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Among the many things that surprised Michael Jordan when he arrived at troubled tech giant EDS last year was a deep and puzzling irony: EDS invented the business of outsourcing, overhauling other firms' computer systems and running them far more efficiently, yet its own internal network was a haphazard and disjointed mess.

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The new systems include an online booking system, e-prescriptions and fast computer network links between NHS organisations as well as the electronic records system.

BBC: Electronic records is one part of the ?6.8bn IT upgrade