Software Firm Business Models with Virtual Communities

The introduction of internet technology has fundamentally changed the software industry. Instead of using the traditional licensing business model, software firms now compete with a wide variety of models, such as Software-as-a-Service, open source software models and virtual communities. However, there is yet very limited research on these new approaches. This exploratory paper contributes to the discussion on software business models and virtual communities by developing a taxonomy of how virtual communities are used as part of a business model. Using survey data collected from the Finnish software industry, a cluster analysis of the data reveals four different ways that firms utilize virtual communities in their business. The resulting high-level taxonomy contributes towards an understanding of the role of virtual communities in contemporary software firm business models

Business Models of Platform as a Service (PaaS) Providers: Current State and Future Directions

Cloud Computing, Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) are terms that denote new developments in the software industry that are completely changing the way software is produced, consumed, and distributed. In particular new PaaS business models have a disruptive effect on existing business models and require thorough business model innovation in the software industry. Despite their impact, PaaS business models have not been considered in a sufficient manner in literature yet. The paper at hand contributes to this gap by providing an overview of typical characteristics of PaaS based on a systematic literature review, a classification model of existing PaaS business models based on case studies and an overview of the current state and future development directions of PaaS

Who Starts with Open Source? Institutional Choice of Start-Ups in the German ICT Sector

We analyze the characteristics of new businesses in the German ICT industry, distinguishing them based on their choice between two IPR regimes: open source software (OSS) or closed source software (CSS). The share of new firms with an OSS-based business model has increased considerably over the last several years. OSS-based firms tend to be smaller (in terms of staff and capital) and experience less shortages of capital. Only older cohorts of OSS-intensive start-ups had more difficulty than their CSS counterparts in convincing potential financiers of their viability, indicating that OSS business models are now well established. We find no evidence that the lower entry barriers for OSS firms are particularly attractive to start-ups with low human capital endowment or to necessity-motivated entrepreneurs.New business formation, institutions, open source, intellectual property rights, software industry

Revenue Management and Demand Fulfillment: Matching Applications, Models, and Software

Recent years have seen great successes of revenue management, notably in the airline, hotel, and car rental business. Currently, an increasing number of industries, including manufacturers and retailers, are exploring ways to adopt similar concepts. Software companies are taking an active role in promoting the broadening range of applications. Also technological advances, including smart shelves and radio frequency identification (RFID), are removing many of the barriers to extended revenue management. The rapid developments in Supply Chain Planning and Revenue Management software solutions, scientific models, and industry applications have created a complex picture, which appears not yet to be well understood. It is not evident which scientific models fit which industry applications and which aspects are still missing. The relation between available software solutions and applications as well as scientific models appears equally unclear. The goal of this paper is to help overcome this confusion. To this end, we structure and review three dimensions, namely applications, models, and software. Subsequently, we relate these dimensions to each other and highlight commonalities and discrepancies. This comparison also provides a basis for identifying future research needs.Manufacturing;Revenue Management;Software;Advanced Planning Systems;Demand Fulfillment

Business Models for Free and Open Source Software: Insights from a Delphi Study

This article describes a Delphi study that consulted leading FOSS experts to identify the most important business models for FOSS. We employed the Delphi method to consult leading experts in FOSS, asking them to identify existing business models; describe potentially feasible models that are not currently implemented; identify specific categories of stakeholders involved; and identify the various goals and priorities of these stakeholders. The experts, who included software developers, corporate and individual users of software and members of leading software development industry organizations, highlighted 10 particularly important business models for FOSS which they analyzed and commentated in detail. Among other issues, the experts discussed the sustainability of various models and the extent to which they upheld users’ software freedoms

Mobile Communications Industry Scenarios and Strategic Implications for Network Equipment Vendors

Mobile infrastructure markets have changed dramatically during the past years. The industry is experiencing a shift from traditional large-scale, hardware-driven system roll-outs to software and services -driven business models. Also, the telecommunications and internet worlds are colliding in both mobile infrastructure and services domains requiring established network equipment vendors and mobile operators to transform and adapt to the new business environment. This paper utilizes Schoemaker's scenario planning process to reveal critical uncertain elements shaping the future of the industry. Four possible scenarios representing different value systems between industry's key stakeholders are created. After this, five strategic options with differing risk and cost factors for established network equipment vendors are discussed in order to aid firm's strategic planning process. --

Open Source Business Models and Synthetic Biology

The software industry has successfully utilized open source business models namely with software such as Android and Linux. Open source business models allow individuals to collaborate and share information without fear that the shared information will be commercially misused. Given the similarities between software source code and genetic sequences, innovators in the field of synthetic biology feel that open source business models can help further innovation for synthetic biology in a similar manner. However, when determining whether to join an open source project, practitioners must first identify if such a project will be beneficial to their goals. This Comment discuss benefits and risks associated with open source business models as applied to synthetic biology, as well as possible solutions to some of the risks identified. This Comment concludes with possible suggestions to solve some of the issues associated with open source business models with the goal to further current open source initiatives

Open Source Business Models and Synthetic Biology

The software industry has successfully utilized open source business models namely with software such as Android and Linux. Open source business models allow individuals to collaborate and share information without fear that the shared information will be commercially misused. Given the similarities between software source code and genetic sequences, innovators in the field of synthetic biology feel that open source business models can help further innovation for synthetic biology in a similar manner. However, when determining whether to join an open source project, practitioners must first identify if such a project will be beneficial to their goals. This Comment discuss benefits and risks associated with open source business models as applied to synthetic biology, as well as possible solutions to some of the risks identified. This Comment concludes with possible suggestions to solve some of the issues associated with open source business models with the goal to further current open source initiatives

A DISCUSSION ON ASSURING SOFTWARE QUALITY IN SMALL AND MEDIUM SOFTWARE ENTERPRISES: AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION

Under the studies of general core activities including software inspection, review and testing to achieve quality objectives in small-medium size enterprises (SMEs), the paper presents a contemporary view of such companies against quality measures. The results from a local empirical investigation of quality standards in the Turkish software industry are reported.Around 150 software companies have been approached from which 17 detailed feedback inform that in order to ensure software quality, standards including internationally recognized International Standards Organization (ISO) and Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) are given credit. However the substantial workload and resources required to obtain them are also reported as serious; downscaled frameworks of such large models proposed in the literature are not well known by the SMEs either. The paper also discusses "work around" that bypasses such standards to ease delivery of products while keeping certificates as labels just to acquire new jobs for the business