Yes, Goverment and Corporate will benefit. They are the ones that can exploit an opportunity. But, the technology to do so, will create bigger and better things for the common man like me. I use GPS almost daily on the water, I wouldn't have this wonderful tool without Goverment having developed it, along with big buisness, for the military. On a smaller scale, I wouldn't have my Tang without the goverments need. The only group that could make use of alien technology, just by sheer cost, is Goverment and Buisness.
And I don't think contact would create mass Panic. It would be more akin to the discoveries of new races in the new world. Curiosity, and in our time, not slavery. We have grown as a species, quite well I think, overall. I believe we are ready to meet our cosmic bretheren. I'm sure we will stumble a little, big deal, so will they.