Letters from the War of Ecosystems – An Analysis of Independent Software Vendors in Mobile Application Marketplaces

The recent emergence of a new generation of mobile application marketplaces has changed the business in the mobile ecosystems. The marketplaces have gathered over a million applications by hundreds of thousands of application developers and publishers. Thus, software ecosystems—consisting of developers, consumers and the orchestrator—have emerged as a part of the mobile ecosystem. This dissertation addresses the new challenges faced by mobile application developers in the new ecosystems through empirical methods. By using the theories of two-sided markets and business ecosystems as the basis, the thesis assesses monetization and value creation in the market as well as the impact of electronic Word-of-Mouth (eWOM) and developer multihoming— i. e. contributing for more than one platform—in the ecosystems. The data for the study was collected with web crawling from the three biggest marketplaces: Apple App Store, Google Play and Windows Phone Store. The dissertation consists of six individual articles. The results of the studies show a gap in monetization among the studied applications, while a majority of applications are produced by small or micro-enterprises. The study finds only weak support for the impact of eWOM on the sales of an application in the studied ecosystem. Finally, the study reveals a clear difference in the multi-homing rates between the top application developers and the rest. This has, as discussed in the thesis, an impact on the future market analyses—it seems that the smart device market can sustain several parallel application marketplaces.Muutama vuosi sitten julkistetut uuden sukupolven mobiilisovellusten kauppapaikat ovat muuttaneet mobiiliekosysteemien liiketoimintadynamiikkaa. Nämä uudet markkinapaikat ovat jo onnistuneet houkuttelemaan yli miljoona sovellusta sadoilta tuhansilta ohjelmistokehittäjiltä. Nämä kehittäjät yhdessä markkinapaikan organisoijan sekä loppukäyttäjien kanssa ovat muodostaneet ohjelmistoekosysteemin osaksi laajempaa mobiiliekosysteemiä. Tässä väitöskirjassa tarkastellaan mobiilisovellusten kehittäjien uudenlaisilla kauppapaikoilla kohtaamia haasteita empiiristen tutkimusmenetelmien kautta. Väitöskirjassa arvioidaan sovellusten monetisaatiota ja arvonluontia sekä verkon asiakasarviointien (engl. electronicWord-of-Mouth, eWOM) ja kehittäjien moniliittymisen (engl. multi-homing) — kehittäjä on sitoutunut useammalle kuin yhdelle ekosysteemille — vaikutuksia ekosysteemissä. Työn teoreettinen tausta rakentuu kaksipuolisten markkinapaikkojen ja liiketoimintaekosysteemien päälle. Tutkimuksen aineisto on kerätty kolmelta suurimmalta mobiilisovellusmarkkinapaikalta: Apple App Storesta, Google Playstä ja Windows Phone Storesta. Tämä artikkeliväitöskirja koostuu kuudesta itsenäisestä tutkimuskäsikirjoituksesta. Artikkelien tulokset osoittavat puutteita monetisaatiossa tutkittujen sovellusten joukossa. Merkittävä osa tarkastelluista sovelluksista on pienten yritysten tai yksittäisten kehittäjien julkaisemia. Tutkimuksessa löydettiin vain heikkoa tukea eWOM:in positiiviselle vaikutukselle sovellusten myyntimäärissä. Työssä myös osoitetaan merkittävä ero menestyneimpien sovelluskehittäjien sekä muiden kehittäjien moniliittymiskäyttäytymisen välillä. Tällä havainnolla on merkitystä tuleville markkina-analyyseille ja sen vaikutuksia on käsitelty työssä. Tulokset esimerkiksi viittaavat siihen, että markkinat pystyisivät ylläpitämään useita kilpailevia kauppapaikkoja.Siirretty Doriast

Letters from the War of Ecosystems – An Analysis of Independent Software Vendors in Mobile Application Marketplaces

The recent emergence of a new generation of mobile application marketplaces has changed the business in the mobile ecosystems. The marketplaces have gathered over a million applications by hundreds of thousands of application developers and publishers. Thus, software ecosystems&mdash;consisting of developers, consumers and the orchestrator&mdash;have emerged as a part of the mobile ecosystem.&nbsp; This dissertation addresses the new challenges faced by mobile application developers in the new ecosystems through empirical methods. By using the theories of two-sided markets and business ecosystems as the basis, the thesis assesses monetization and value creation in the market as well as the impact of electronic Word-of-Mouth (eWOM) and developer multihoming&mdash; i. e. contributing for more than one platform&mdash;in the ecosystems. The data for the study was collected with web crawling from the three biggest marketplaces: Apple App Store, Google Play and Windows Phone Store.&nbsp; The dissertation consists of six individual articles. The results of the studies show a gap in monetization among the studied applications, while a majority of applications are produced by small or micro-enterprises. The study finds only weak support for the impact of eWOM on the sales of an application in the studied ecosystem. Finally, the study reveals a clear difference in the multi-homing rates between the top application developers and the rest. This has, as discussed in the thesis, an impact on the future market analyses&mdash;it seems that the smart device market can sustain several parallel application marketplaces. - - - - - Muutama vuosi sitten julkistetut uuden sukupolven mobiilisovellusten kauppapaikat ovat muuttaneet mobiiliekosysteemien liiketoimintadynamiikkaa. N&auml;m&auml; uudet markkinapaikat ovat jo onnistuneet houkuttelemaan yli miljoona sovellusta sadoilta tuhansilta ohjelmistokehitt&auml;jilt&auml;. N&auml;m&auml; kehitt&auml;j&auml;t yhdess&auml; markkinapaikan organisoijan sek&auml; loppuk&auml;ytt&auml;jien kanssa ovat muodostaneet ohjelmistoekosysteemin osaksi laajempaa mobiiliekosysteemi&auml;.&nbsp; T&auml;ss&auml; v&auml;it&ouml;skirjassa tarkastellaan mobiilisovellusten kehitt&auml;jien uudenlaisilla kauppapaikoilla kohtaamia haasteita empiiristen tutkimusmenetelmien kautta. V&auml;it&ouml;skirjassa arvioidaan sovellusten monetisaatiota ja arvonluontia sek&auml; verkon asiakasarviointien (engl. electronicWord-of-Mouth, eWOM) ja kehitt&auml;jien moniliittymisen (engl. multi-homing) &mdash; kehitt&auml;j&auml; on sitoutunut useammalle kuin yhdelle ekosysteemille &mdash; vaikutuksia ekosysteemiss&auml;. Ty&ouml;n teoreettinen tausta rakentuu kaksipuolisten markkinapaikkojen ja liiketoimintaekosysteemien p&auml;&auml;lle. Tutkimuksen aineisto on ker&auml;tty kolmelta suurimmalta mobiilisovellusmarkkinapaikalta: Apple App Storesta, Google Playst&auml; ja Windows Phone Storesta.&nbsp; T&auml;m&auml; artikkeliv&auml;it&ouml;skirja koostuu kuudesta itsen&auml;isest&auml; tutkimusk&auml;sikirjoituksesta. Artikkelien tulokset osoittavat puutteita monetisaatiossa tutkittujen sovellusten joukossa. Merkitt&auml;v&auml; osa tarkastelluista sovelluksista on pienten yritysten tai yksitt&auml;isten kehitt&auml;jien julkaisemia. Tutkimuksessa l&ouml;ydettiin vain heikkoa tukea eWOM:in positiiviselle vaikutukselle sovellusten myyntim&auml;&auml;riss&auml;. Ty&ouml;ss&auml; my&ouml;s osoitetaan merkitt&auml;v&auml; ero menestyneimpien sovelluskehitt&auml;jien sek&auml; muiden kehitt&auml;jien moniliittymisk&auml;ytt&auml;ytymisen v&auml;lill&auml;. T&auml;ll&auml; havainnolla on merkityst&auml; tuleville markkina-analyyseille ja sen vaikutuksia on k&auml;sitelty ty&ouml;ss&auml;. Tulokset esimerkiksi viittaavat siihen, ett&auml; markkinat pystyisiv&auml;t yll&auml;pit&auml;m&auml;&auml;n useita kilpailevia kauppapaikkoja.</p

Technology Readiness in Customers’ Perception and Acceptance of M(obile)-Payment: An Empirical Study in Finland, Germany, the USA and Japan

In today`s mobile world there is a high potential for m(obile)-payment services, but the mere existence of such services does not mean that the market is ready for them. M-payment services must add value to attract new users. After years of research regarding technology acceptance (TA) of m-payment, the aim of this paper is to examine how technology readiness (TR) influences customers’ perception and acceptance of m-payment. TA of consumers in combination with TR is investigated for m-payment in Finland, Germany, the USA and Japan. We conduct an online survey to collect data in those four countries. We use that data to carry out a TA analysis using a structural equation model (SEM). The research model arises from the findings of a priori explorative study and a comprehensive literature review. Evaluation results based on an extended TA model (TAM) show that user acceptance of m-payment differs influenced by constructs

Security Risk Tolerance in Mobile Payment: A Trade-off Framework

Security is identified as a major barrier for consumers in adopting mobile payment. Although existing literature has incorporated security into the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the Unified Theory of Acceptance, and the Use of Technology (UTAUT) and it has investigated the way in which security affects consumers’ acceptance of mobile payment, security is a factor only in diverse research models. Studies of mobile payment that focus on security are not available. Additionally, previous studies of mobile payment are based on Direct Carrier Billing- (DCB)-based mobile payment or Near Field Communication- (NFC)-based mobile payment. The results regarding security might not be applicable to Quick Response (QR) code-based mobile payment, the format that has become prevalent in recent years. As such, this study focuses on security of using mobile payment and develops a benefit-cost appraisal and a trade-off framework by integrating the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT), and the Rational Choice Theory (RCT). Particularly, this study introduces security risk tolerance into mobile payment study and sets it as the dependent variable. This study proposes that consumers’ security risk tolerance is shaped by their benefit-cost appraisal and their tradeoff process, regarding the use of mobile payment. Based on an online survey that collected data from 324 respondents in China, this study empirically tests and validates the research model. The findings suggest that consumers’ perceived benefit in using mobile payment is positively related to their security risk tolerance, whereas their perceived cost of using mobile payment is negatively related to their security risk tolerance. Convenience, safety, and savings positively affect consumers’ perceived benefit. The security threat positively affects consumers’ perceived cost. Payment tradition moderates consumers’ benefit-cost appraisal and trade-off process, but normative beliefs do not have a significant moderating effect. Self-efficacy only moderates the relationship between consumers’ perceived cost and their security risk tolerance. This study finds that males and females complete their benefit-cost appraisal and their trade-off process regarding security of using mobile payment very similarly. Gender differences only exist in the relationship between savings and consumers’ perceived benefit of using mobile payment

Measuring service quality in m-commerce context: The case of Arab Open University, Jordan

This study explores the impact of service quality dimensions (website design, reliability, responsiveness, trust, personalization, perceived risk and perceived cognitive control), information quality dimensions (content usefulness and content adequacy) and system - quality dimensions (ease of use, accessibility, interactivity and perceived website innovativeness) on overall perceived service quality, customer satisfaction and behavioral intention. Based on existing literature, a conceptual model was developed. The SERVQUAL model and the Information system theories were used to explicate the relationship among the variables in the conceptual model. Using a survey research design, a sample of 618 university students and staff was drawn through simple random sampling. Combinations of inferential and descriptive statistics were performed assisted by the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) and Partial Least Square (PLS). The outcomes of this study show that responsiveness, content usefulness, content adequacy, ease of use, interactivity, and perceived website innovativeness have significant positive relationships with overall service quality. However, website design, reliability, trust, personalization and perceived risk do not have significant relationships with overall service quality. Similarly, and as expected, overall service quality significantly influences satisfaction while satisfaction positively influences the behavioral intention of mobile commerce customers in Jordan. As for policy and managerial recommendations, it is important that managers lay more emphasis on those factors that can make customers perceive the website of m-commerce to be of high quality as this will eventually affect their satisfaction and future behavioral intentions. Similarly, m-commerce service policy-makers should come up with policies that will enhance the nature of services being rendered, and that will bring greater benefits to the customers. Additionally, the policymakers should endeavour to position m-commerce in the minds of customers in such a way that it will bring about the intention to repeat patronage in the future. Finally, directions for future research are discussed

Mobile cloud contextual awareness with the cloud personal assistant

This paper presents our efforts to bridge the gap between mobile context awareness, and mobile cloud services, using the Cloud Personal Assistant (CPA). The CPA is a part of the Context Aware Mobile Cloud Services (CAMCS) middleware, which we continue to develop. Specifically, we discuss the development and evaluation of the Context Processor component of this middleware. This component collects context data from the mobile devices of users, which is then provided to the CPA of each user, for use with mobile cloud services. We discuss the architecture and implementation of the Context Processor, followed by the evaluation. We introduce context profiles for the CPA, which influence its operation by using different context types. As part of the evaluation, we present two experimental context-aware mobile cloud services to illustrate how the CPA works with user context, and related context profiles, to complete tasks for the user

Mobile Business Processes : Challenges, Opportunities and Effect

Smartphones and tablets have become an important part of people’s daily life and people have started to use them for work purposes as well. Mobile computing has location and time flexibility advantages that enterprise can utilize with care. The world of mobile technologies is fragmented. It can be a complex task for a non-mobile software company to decide what kind of smartphone application they want for their customers. People have different expectations on mobile applications and their usage habits differ. Mobile applications are more prone to disturbance because of their nature and again still performing critical tasks. They cannot be treated same as stationary computers in terms of business process support. This thesis presents an analysis of effects and opportunities brought by mobile devices to enterprises from small to large scale based on the literature survey. The thesis helps enterprises to understand what kind of approach to mobile support best suits their needs and how to handle the mobile-specific challenges in their IT systems

Educational Technology and Education Conferences, June to December 2012

The conference list contains events such as "Learning and Teaching","Innovation in e-Learning", "Online Teaching", "Distance Learning Administration", "The World Open Educational Resources Congress", "Mobile Health", and "Realizing Dreams"