These distant contacts are also more likely to share novel information, demonstrating that social networks can act as a powerful medium for sharing new ideas, highlighting new products and discussing current events.

FORBES: Facebook: We Are Not Just an Echo Chamber

Investors are no longer smug and have grown increasingly (and arguably fully) aware of the challenges of the delivery of current and future new products.

FORBES: What The 'Experts' Are Saying Now About Apple Stock

In addition, as product lifecycles become shorter, the road to sustained growth requires that senior executives ensure a balance between keeping current customers satisfied and uncovering new markets with new products ahead of the competition.

FORBES: "Listening but Not Really Hearing You"

Even internationally, where health issues are not as prevalent, a key driver of growth has been McDonald's ability to develop new food products that cater to the current and changing lifestyles of a specific region.

FORBES: McDonald's Arches Still Golden

Customers are quickly reinventing how they choose to learn about new products, keep current on existing ones, and stay loyal to those brands they most value.

FORBES: Connect

The products Gates previewed today fit into Microsoft's efforts to create new tools and revise its current ones to make it easier for developers to create these new Web applications, he said.

CNN: Technology - Gates offers developers glimpse of Next Generation Windows

Hero Honda whose annual sales exceed 4 million motorcycles, will continue producing and selling all current models though, under the new terms, it will be free to develop its own products, sell in international markets and acquire new technology.

FORBES: Honda Bids Sayonara To Indian Partner

These transactions and related strategic agreements will enable both companies to better align their current and future product development efforts and roadmaps, accelerate time-to-market for new products and position the companies to better address rapidly evolving opportunities in markets including, but not limited to, mobile computing, cloud computing and solid state storage.

FORBES: Seagate To Buy Samsung's Hard Drive Business In $1.375B Deal