eCRM in the Travel Industry

We are bombarded with Internet forecasts and statistics every day, however there is little doubt that the Internet has permanently changed the face of travel promotion and distribution. While only a minority of consumers are actually prepared to buy online at the present time, this minority is growing and there are large numbers of consumers who wish to use the Internet for information and communication. Travel and hospitality companies are selling an information-rich product and will need to leverage the full range of offline and e-channels to engage their customers in dialogue. The Internet does not have any respect for geographic or organisational boundaries and companies will have to forge new business models, involving partnerships and customer-driven product design, in order to meet the needs of the online consumer. There are major challenges and opportunities for companies wishing to add the e to their CRM strategy

Approaches to Using e- and m-Business Components in Business

This paper discusses using e- and m-business components in supporting and enhancing existing businesses and in creating new business innovations. A framework illustrating two different approaches companies have to adoption of e- and m-business components is proposed. Three cases of how Finnish companies have, in an innovative way, used e- and m-business components to support, to enhance, and to launch businesses are presented. Based on the illustrative framework and the cases, some rules of thumb for using e- and m-business components in business are proposed. The aim of this paper is to offer managers helpful insights for planning e- and m-business component investments.e-Business; m-Business; Business Models; Case Studies

Device and context influence on wireless infotainment access: A real world story

Copyright @ 2005 CEPISUser considerations are paramount when it comes to take up of technologies, and even more so in the case of mobile devices, in which the success of a particular device often depends on its novelty appeal. However, relatively little work has been undertaken exploring how day-to-day tasks are affected when mediated by such access devices. This paper reports the results of an empirical study placed in a 'real-world' setting, in which participants undertook typical infotainment - combined information and entertainment access tasks on three different wireless-enabled mobile devices. These were a laptop, a Personal Digital Assistant and a Head Mounted Display device. Our results show that, with the exception of participants' level of self-consciousness when using such devices in public environments, the user wireless infotainment access experience is generally unaffected by device type. Location was shown, though, to be a significant factor when users engage in tasks such as listening to online music or navigation

Classroom Management System Via Mobile Devices

Mobile devices, applications and services become assimilated into people’s daily activities. The full potential of mobile application is realized when people can access current information at anytime and at anywhere. Existing practice in allocating available classrooms and classrooms reservation are performed manually. In addition, to report any device failure located in classrooms is currently made by calling the helpdesk. Therefore, a Classroom Management System (CMS) via mobile devices is proposed to overcome such problems; allowing lecturers to identify the required classrooms,perform classroom reservation and find the person-in-charge while administration staffs can operate on managing the rooms. System Development Research Methodology(SDRM) has been used for the CMS development. Users acceptance towards CMS had been identified by performing a field study involving 15 respondents. Results showed that 75% of the respondents are satisfied with CMS and felt that it is an acceptable application. Hence, this indicates that CMS provides satisfaction to lecturers and administration staffs in facilitating the daily routine of their working environmen

Mobile information access in the real world: A story of three wireless devices

This is the post-print version of the Article. The official published version can be accessed from the link below - Copyright @ 2008 ElsevierThe importance of the user perspective to the wireless information access experience cannot be understated: simply put, users will not indulge in devices that are perceived to be difficult to use and in technologies that do not offer quality infotainment – combined information and entertainment – content. In this paper, we investigate the impact that mobile devices have on the user wireless infotainment access experience in practice. To this end, we have undertaken an empirical study placed in a ‘real-world’ setting, in which participants undertook typical infotainment access tasks on three different wireless-enabled mobile devices: a laptop, a personal digital assistant and a head mounted display device. Results show that, with the exception of participants’ level of self-consciousness when using such devices in public environments, the user wireless information access experience is generally unaffected by device type. Location was shown, though, to be a significant factor when users engage in tasks such as listening to online music or navigation. Whilst the interaction between device and environment was found to influence entertainment-related tasks in our experiments, the informational ones were not affected. However, the interaction effects between device and user type was found to affect both types of tasks. Lastly, a user’s particular computing experience was shown to influence the perceived ease of wireless information access only in the case of online searching, irrespective of whether this is done for primarily informational purposes or entertainment ones

IT and Telecoms Convergence: Mobile Service Delivery in the EU and Japan

We will show in this paper how the process of delivering mobile content to handsets has changed from proprietary delivery mechanisms towards components making up delivery platforms. This trend is reinforced by content formats migrating from mobile-specific into mainstream Internet formats as handsets get more advanced. Service delivery platforms function as an indicator of the uptake of data services and is the glue between end-users and the originating content. Service delivery platforms also drive a convergence between IT and telecoms companies. This means lower transaction costs for major brands to expand into mobile content distribution.In this paper we compare business strategies and technology choices from Japan and the EU in the period 2000 to 2005 among the following actors: carriers, mobile content providers, service delivery platform providers, and retail brands. Although different business strategies have been pursued in Japan and the EU we show that underlying key delivery technology is similar, and the patterns of IT and telecoms convergence are clear. This analysis also demystifies the content delivery process in Japan.We use both concepts of network effects and systems evolution to explore how content provision has changed in the market to accommodate evolving service delivery platforms, containing disruptive technologies, and the associated business models, that are affected by coordination costs. This research is built on extensive industry contacts in Japan during two periods, 1999-2001 and 2002-2005

Card, Internet and mobile payments in Finland

Retail payment methods are in a stage of rapid development. New service providers and technological developments enable new payment services through a variety of channels. Payment solutions are being developed based eg on the Internet and on mobile phones. Presumably, the use of paper-based payment instruments will decrease further in the future thanks to electronification in the retail payment area. In this paper we focus on card payments in Finland and certain other countries. We also look at Internet- and mobile-based payments and discuss some of the challenges related to the new solutions. The paper ends with a brief discussion of recent changes in Finnish legislation in connection with retail payments.retail payments; payment cards; Internet payments; mobile payments

The Effects of Internet on Rural-to-Urban Migrating Intentions of Young Villagers: Evidence from Rural Indonesia

Indonesian’s government attempts to build internet infrastructure covering all rural areas of which most internet users are young. Youths refer to a generation who intuitively able to operate internet device and are supposed to take an important decision about their future careers, occupations, and living places. This study aimed to identify effects of internet on rural-to-urban migrating intentions of rural youths. The Structural Equation Model-Partial Lease Square (SEM-PLS) approach was applied. This study involved 866 of 15 to 24 years villagers of Tumpukrenteng Village, Malang Regency. This village reflects an ordinary village which is characterized high rural-to-urban migration. A randomized of 213 respondents were taken but 193 respondents were analyzed due to internet users. The independent variables covered internet infrastructure, internet usage, collecting information on prospective destination activity, and the dependent variable covered migrating intention. The results demonstrated that internet accelerated young villagers’ rural migrating intention. Internet allowed their users to access information of prospective destination. This research suggested young villagers to apply internet into economic benefits activity, such as e-commerce and to reduce adverse impacts of internet usage and rural youth’s emigration

Mobile e-commerce: study and model generation, implementation issues and analysis

Not availabl