A value proposition oriented typology of electronic marketplaces for B2B SaaS applications

In order to overcome the lack of transparency of the SaaS market, electronic marketplaces (EMs) emerge in practice. To the best of our knowledge, only little research has been carried out in this specific domain. As it is of outmost importance to understand the value offerings, the goal of this paper is to develop a typology of EMs considering the value proposition and other differentiating characteristics. An explorative multiple case study approach is employed analyzing 17 cases utilizing publically available data. We propose a five-step-typology, in particular: (1) Catalogue Listing, (2) Transaction-oriented Catalogue, (3) All-in-One Marketplace, (4) Development Platform Marketing Channel and (5) Industry Collaboration Development Platform. In addition, we analyze and discuss the general market situation of EMs for B2B SaaS applications. Based on our findings, we derive implications for practice and identify potential for further research

Duopolistic Competition between Independent and Collaborative Business-to-Business Marketplaces

This paper studies imperfect price competition between two intermediaries in an electronic business-to-business matching market with indirect network externalities. The intermediaries differ with regard to their ownership structure: an independent third party incumbent marketplace competes with a challenging collaborative buy-side consortium marketplace in terms of attracting buying and selling firms. When firms can register exclusively with at most one intermediary, the incumbent is only able to deter entry if the number of firms taking ownership in the consortium is sufficiently small. Otherwise, the consortium can successfully enter and monopolize the market. When firms can multihome, i.e. they register simultaneously with both intermediaries, the consortium can always enter while both intermediaries stay in the market with positive profits. --B2B e-commerce,intermediation,network externalities,matching

Duopolistic Competition between Independent and Collaborative Business-to-Business Marketplaces

This paper studies imperfect price competition between two intermediaries in an electronic business-to-business matching market with indirect network externalities. The intermediaries differ with regard to their ownership structure: an independent third party incumbent marketplace competeswith a challenging collaborative buy-side consortium marketplace in terms of attracting buying and selling firms. When firms can register exclusively with at most one intermediary, the incumbent is only able to deter entry if the number of firms taking ownership in the consortium is sufficiently small. Otherwise, the consortium can successfully enter and monopolize the market. When firms can multi-home, i.e. they register simultaneously with both intermediaries, the consortium can always enter while both intermediaries stay in the market with positive profits.B2B e-commerce, intermediation, network externalities, matching.

Disintermediation of traditional chemical intermediary roles in the Electronic Business-to-Business (e-B2B) exchange world

The traditional chemical distribution industry is a multi-billion dollar business and with the introduction of Electronic Business-to-Business (e-B2B) exchanges to the global chemical industry there is some concern about the future roles of traditional intermediaries (TI). The objectives of this research paper are to investigate the possibility of disintermediation of roles of TI by e-B2B exchanges and to identify the value adding role of TI as perceived by chemical distributors and buyers. If these value adding roles may be the key to future survival for TI in the marketplace. International data collected from e-B2B exchanges, chemical distributors and buyers are used. Content analysis of e-B2B exchanges was conducted while survey questionnaires were used for distributors and buyers using a cross-sectional approach. The research shows that whilst the e-B2B exchanges have a role to play in the chemical supply chain management there were still sub-functions which the buyers viewed that the TI could offer to them. So the supplier-buyer relationships could be maintained between the buyers and the TI, at least for the time being, until newer business models of e-B2B exchanges begins to compete with the TI's to offer these sub-functions. The research holds valuable implications for TI in the chemical industry regarding the need for differentiation with a view building new competences to survive the encroachment of their traditional business base by e-B2B exchanges. The impact of e-B2B exchanges on TI in the chemical industry has not previously been studied in-depth. This paper provides new knowledge and makes a contribution by providing evidence of evolution in the chemical distribution channels. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

A Multi-Criteria Approach to the Evaluation of Aviation e-marketplace portals

After a proliferation of logistics e-Marketplaces during the dot.com boom of 1998-2000, there has been a high rate of failure and survivals are developing much more slowly than expected. This is the case of aviation industry where a large number of B2B e-Marketplaces emerged according to the focus of aviation companies’ strategies on electronic B2B in the late 1990s. However, the current use of e-Marketplaces in the industry is low and many of them have ceased trading. The traditional e-Marketplaces model have been characterised by poor quality of portals and the lack of technical standards. Such an approach is unsustainable in today’s competitive scenario. Improvements in websites quality attributes may strongly contribute to simplify the website functionalities by users and speed-up communication with all supply chain parties. In such context, it appears of critical importance to develop models for the evaluation of e-Marketplaces web sites. This paper, after a discussion about the development of e-Marketplaces in the transport and logistics service industry and its application in the aviation industry, proposes a multi-criteria model for assessing e-Marketplaces portals that has been subsequently applied to three different types of aeronautic B2B e-Marketplaces

Health on a Cloud: Modeling Digital Flows in an E-health Ecosystem

A unified and well-knit e-health network is one that provides a common platform to its key stakeholders to facilitate a sharing of information with a view to promoting cooperation and maximizing benefits. A promising candidate worthy of being considered for this ponderous job is the emerging "cloud technology" with its offer of computing as a utility, which seems well-suited to foster such a network bringing together diverse players who would otherwise remain fragmented and be unable to reap benefits that accrue from cooperation. The e-health network serves to provide added value to its various stakeholders through syndication, aggregation and distribution of this health information, thereby reducing costs and improving efficiencies. Because such a network is in fact an interconnected "network of network" that delivers a product or service through both competition and cooperation, it can be thought of as a business ecosystem. . This study attempts to model the digital information flows in an e-health ecosystem and analyze the resulting strategic implications for the key players for whom the rules of the game are bound to change given their interdependent added-values. The ADVISOR framework is deployed to examine the values created and captured in the ecosystem. Based on this analysis, some critical questions that must be addressed as necessary preconditions for an e-Health Cloud, are derived. The paper concludes with the conjecture that "collaboration for value" will replace "competition for revenue" as the new axiom in the health care business that could ideally usher in a fair, efficient and sustainable ecosystem

Electronic Marketplaces: A Cross-Industry Comparison

This research addresses the question of the potential growth of electronic marketplaces as an e-entrepreneurship model. We will examine how electronic marketplaces are different among industry sectors from two major perspectives: the level of electronic marketplace usage and the level of e-readiness.  The results of an empirical study conducted in the United States show that a wide range of industry sectors are currently prepared to use electronic marketplaces, and will use them in the future. These findings indicate a better chance for the growth of e-entrepreneurship as a solution for entrepreneurs in our current troubled economy

Travel Agencies: From online channel conflict to multi-channel harmony

The adoption of Internet as a distribution channel and a privileged e-commerce tool has pressed Travel Agencies (TAs) to a latent channel conflict. Our main interest is to understand how the traditional independent travel agencies in Portugal deal with the online channel. We suggest that TAs have to develop an innovative business model based on the online and offline complementary channels, in order to achieve a multi-channel harmony