Ambient E-Services: Framework and Applications

Most of existing mobile services were designed based on the client/server architecture. Those mobile services neither paid much attention to mobile users’ interactions with their environments nor considered the cooperation efforts between the mobile users in a dynamic peer group. In this paper, the notion of ambient e-services is defined to identify a new scope of mobile e-services. The notable features of ambient e-services are the exhilarated linkage based on social context and significantly rapid growth of connections. We also present an ambient e-service framework that characterizes ambient e-services with three dimensions (value stack, environment stack and technology stack). We exemplify several ambient e-service applications, which rest on the mobile peer-to-peer technology and ambient context aware sensors environments. Ambient e-services make a mobile user not only connect to dynamic ambient environments but also build channels that connect with other mobile users in the nearby surrounding environment, capitalizing dynamic environmental values as well as dynamic social values. Lastly, we identify for ambient e-services certain important issues worthy of future intensive research

Values of Silent Commerce: A Study Using Value-Focused Thinking Approach

Silent commerce is a special type of u-commerce that uses RFID and sensor technologies to make objects intelligent and interactive. The unique features available in silent commerce will provide benefits and added values to users. This study aims to uncover the values of silent commerce from the customers’ perspectives and understand what customers desire and expect from silent commerce. The scenario-based method was adopted to provide subjects with the necessary background information and knowledge about the emerging silent commerce phenomenon. The Value-Focused Thinking approach, which provides a systematic way to articulate and organize values, was used to identify the values of silent commerce to users. The result of this study is a means-ends objective network that depicts the fundamental objectives of using silent commerce and how the fundamental objectives can be achieved through means objectives. The findings can serve as a conceptual foundation for future research in the u-commerce area and provide useful guidelines to practitioners in developing and implementing silent commerce applications

Privacy concerns in quick response code mobile promotion: The role of social anxiety and situational involvement

Drawing upon utility maximization theory, this study examines the conse-quences of quick response (QR) code mobile promotion in terms of information privacy concerns, defensive responses (intention to protect, fabricate, or withhold), and loyalty. Two contextual variables, social anxiety and situational involvement, are hypothesized as moderators. The main survey employs the scenario method with 667 general consumers in Japan. The results indicate that most of the main effects are supported for both modera-tors. There are strong interaction effects of social anxiety and situational involvement in intention to protect and intention to fabricate personal information. Our study suggests that QR code promotion is a practical and useful tool for loyalty, and its use may significantly depend on its context, whether physical or psychological.This research was funded by a grant from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Inno-vation (National Plan for Research, Development and Innovation ECO2011-30105)

An Experimental Study on Ubiquitous commerce Adoption: Impact of Personalization and Privacy Concerns

Ubiquitous commerce (u-commerce) represents anytime, anywhere commerce. U-commerce can provide a high level of personalization, which can bring significant benefits to customers. However, privacy is a major concern to customers and an obstacle to the adoption of u-commerce. This research examines how personalization and context can impact customers\u27 privacy concerns as well as intention to adopt u-commerce applications. As u-commerce is new and emerging, we used the scenario-based approach to operationalize personalization and context in an experimental study. The experimental results show that the effects of personalization on customers\u27 privacy concerns and adoption intention are situation dependent

Legal challenges to future information businesses

The thesis studies new legal challenges to future information businesses: it presents an applicable research method, lists central legal challenges, and discusses the implications of those challenges. I have developed a scenario-based method that produces lists of legal challenges and helps to analyze them. The method highlights information products and services from commercial entity's viewpoint: other business aspects are paid less attention. Also, some specific characteristics of particular companies cannot be considered in a general method like this. Therefore challenges in legal areas such as tax law or competition law do not appear although in practice they can be relevant. The method is still able to point out numerous relevant legal challenges. The study focuses on the future: the time span is about two to ten years from now. The focus is on the business-to-consumer (B2C) market. The emphasis is on strategic product and service development. I have listed, analyzed, and discussed the future legal challenges that the method has found. I conclude that the most important legal challenges to future information businesses are within the areas of privacy and data protection; intellectual property rights; and contracts. I have also discussed the major distinguishers of businesses implying legal challenges. They help to point out the specific legal challenges related to a certain information product or service. Legal rules can affect businesses in many ways. At their best, they enable businesses, but too often they also harm useful activities. I conclude business drivers and hurdles that are important from the legal point of view.reviewe

Assessing Legal Challenges on the Mobile Internet

This article describes some legal challenges related to information products and services on the mobile Internet and the World Wide Web. Using a scenario-based methodology, it describes the future mobile Internet and explains how information products and services would be used on it. A systematic method is used to build the scenarios. As the problems likely to emerge are very complex, the scenarios take into account several major factors that delineate the mobile Internet and its use--not just technological changes and economic factors, but societal issues and how individuals feel and behave. The scenarios make it possible to identify the kinds of legal challenges that are likely to emerge. Analysis of the scenarios indicates that intellectual property rights, privacy, and contracts are the legal areas most likely to involve challenges on the mobile Internet.Peer reviewe

Assessing Legal Challenges on the Mobile Internet

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