Enterprise 2.0 – Is The Market Ready?

Enterprise 2.0 family technologies have growing popularity, the cloud computing market is growing rapidly and, as a consequence, companies of all sizes start to evaluate the potential fit. The use of “Software as a Service”, “Platform as a Service” and “Infrastructure as a Service” has been evolving during the past years and has become increasingly popular. As its computing viability and benefits are legitimized, the adoption rate is rapidly increasing. The most popular business model in the abovementioned family is by far “Software as a Service” (also called SaaS), which is a software distribution model assuming the software applications are hosted and maintained by the vendor or the distributor, and user access is granted exclusively by means of the Internet. Based on both literature review and action research, the paper at hand is a synthesis for the results of an empirical study performed during the last two years among Romanian and foreign companies, in order to outline and provide an objective and unbiased answer to the question: “Is the market ready for these technologies or did they come too soon?”. The paper is a part of a larger research performed by the author in the field of Enterprise 2.0 technologies.Enterprise 2.0, Software as a Service, Platform as a Service, Infrastructure as a Service, Empirical study

Service Bundling and the Role of Access Charge in the Broadband Internet Service Market

Using the classical Hotelling model, this paper analyzes the incentive for a CATV service provider to bundle broadband internet services when entering the broadband internet services market. In addition, the effect of such service bundling by an entrant on the market incumbent with ownership over existing bottleneck facilities is analyzed. Furthermore, an access charge that maximizes social welfare is explored and determined. Two cases are considered: in the first case, the market is fully covered; and in the second case, the market is not fully covered. With full market coverage, an entrant has an incentive for service bundling if there is sufficient service differentiation. The entrant's bundling strategy reduces the incumbent's profit. In this case, the total social welfare is independent of the level of the access charge and only has an effect of redistributing the net surplus between consumers and the incumbent. With partial market coverage, the entrant has an incentive for service bundling at a low access charge. The incumbent's profit increases if the access charge is higher than the cost of access provisioning. In this case, the total social welfare is dependent on the level of access charge and the welfare maximizing access charge is less than the unit cost of providing access.cable TV; broadband internet service; bundling; access charge; convergence

I Like the Way you Move - An Empirical Investigation into the Mechanisms Behind First Mover and Follower Strategies

There appears to be an ambivalent dimension in innovation strategies: timing. When is an innovation ready for the market or when is the market ready for the innovation? This paper empirically investigates the determinants of a firm’s decision to become a first mover or a follower in innovation strategies. Much of theoretical and empirical work has focused on whether first mover strategies pay off or not. Here we take a different approach by analysing the determinants that lead companies to opt for either a first mover or a follower strategy. One of this paper’s major goals is to distinguish between firm and industry specific effects on this particular strategic choice. We estimate our model using the most recent data from the German innovation survey of 2003. This dataset allows us to identify deliberate followers rather than outstripped first movers. One of our main findings is that firms choosing a first mover strategy operate in industries with intensive knowledge exchange and further leverage this advantage through excellent internal absorptive capacities. Followers, though, compete by way of their operational excellence for streamlining processes and cutting costs. Hence, we argue that neither of these two innovation strategies is per se superior to the other.innovation strategy, first mover, bivariat probit

I Like The Way You Move: An Empirical Investigation into the Mechanisms Behind First Mover and Follower Strategies

There appears to be an ambivalent dimension in innovation strategies: timing. When is an innovation ready for the market or when is the market ready for the innovation? This paper empirically investigates the determinants of a firm?s decision to become a first mover or a follower in innovation strategies. Much of theoretical and empirical work has focused on whether first mover strategies pay off or not. Here we take a different approach by analysing the determinants that lead companies to opt for either a first mover or a follower strategy. One of this paper?s major goals is to distinguish between firm and industry specific effects on this particular strategic choice. We estimate our model using the most recent data from the German innovation survey of 2003. This dataset allows us to identify deliberate followers rather than outstripped first movers. One of our main findings is that firms choosing a first mover strategy operate in industries with intensive knowledge exchange and further leverage this advantage through excellent internal absorptive capacities. Followers, though, compete by way of their operational excellence for streamlining processes and cutting costs. Hence, we argue that neither of these two innovation strategies is per se superior to the other. --innovation strategy,first mover,bivariate probit

American Domination of the Net: A Preliminary Ethnographic Exploration of Causes, Economic Implications for Europe, and Future Prospects

European executives largely agree that American operators of online platforms dominate online business in the EU. There is less consensus on the reasons for American domination and on the possible economic consequences of this domination for the growth of EU business, for employment, for the strength of the EU economies, or for the national security of individual EU member states. With a series of interviews with German executives in a range of industries we examine opinions of the causes of American domination of the net, the current consequences, and the potential for future economic harm. We develop a set of hypotheses, which can be examined with a larger survey and with econometric analysis

The Pursuit of Innovation: An Analysis of International Competitive Advantage in a Globalized Knowledge Economy

With the advent of the internet age, the way in which global society interacts with technology has changed dramatically. The instantaneous availability of information and connectivity, signal the rise of a knowledge economy. This is a system in which the most valuable resource, to nations and private enterprise, is knowledge. This thesis argues that value is created through knowledge flows, which result in innovation and technological advancement. This technological advancement is the primary determinant of a nation’s global competitive advantage in a globalized knowledge economy. This thesis then posits that these innovations are fostered by institutional, social, cultural, economic, and governmental factors within a nation. These factors make up a nations’ National Innovation System (NIS). Using case studies of the US, China, India, and the EU, this paper then attempts to deconstruct, compare, and contrast the innovation strategies of each country and what implications they might have for the future. Lastly, an analysis of potential trends attempts to forecast the global innovative landscape in the near future

LUGGit’s innovation model : how far can a luggage start-up travel?

LUGGit was founded in 2019 with the vision to “build an end-to-end travel journey without travellers ever carrying luggage”. LUGGit realised there was a high demand for a market without a suitable offer and provided a unique service that allowed customers to have their luggage collected, stored, and delivered back at the time and place of their choosing. The service was initially launched in Lisbon, then Porto. In October 2021 it was the turn of Vienna. This set the beginning for the fast internationalisation path that LUGGit was aiming for. In 2022 the prediction was of launching the service in at least 5 European capitals. Heading for a fast internationalisation seemed the right decision to try and have a first mover advantage. Nevertheless, competitors with deeper pockets could be attracted by the market potential uncovered by LUGGit and take advantage of the company’s innovative idea. The Dissertation aims to analyse how should LUGGit manage its internationalisation process. For this purpose, it includes a Case Study with relevant information about the start-up’s journey, a Literature Review section on theoretical topics related to the Case issues, and a Teaching Note that analyses the key areas of the Case.A LUGGit foi fundada em 2019 e a visão da start-up era de “construir uma viagem do início ao fim em que o viajante não teria de carregar a sua bagagem “. LUGGit apercebeuse que havia uma grande procura no mercado, mas não havia uma oferta adequada e começou a prestar um serviço que permitia aos clientes terem a sua bagagem recolhida, guardada e entregue de volta à hora e no local escolhido. Este serviço foi inicialmente lançado em Lisboa, depois no Porto. Em outubro de 2021 foi a vez de Viena. Assim ficou marcado o início da uma internacionalização rápida que a LUGGit ambicionava. Em 2022 a previsão era de proporcionar o serviço em pelo menos 5 capitais europeias. Rumar a uma internacionalização rápida parecia a decisão certa para tentar obter a vantagem de ser um first mover. Contudo, competidores com mais recursos poderiam sentir-se atraídos pelo potencial de mercado descoberto pela LUGGit e tirar vantagem da inovação da start-up. A presente Dissertação tem como objetivo analisar como é que a LUGGit devia gerir o seu processo de internacionalização. Para esse efeito, está incluído um Caso de Estudo com informação relevante sobre a start-up, uma secção para a Revisão de Literatura sobre tópicos teóricos relacionados com os problemas do Caso, e uma Nota de Estudo que analisa os principais pontos do Caso

Internationalization process: GuestCentric Systems Embracing People‟s Republic of China

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and EconomicsThe way the independent hotel industry makes business has recently changed. Startup venture capitalist GuestCentric Systemsi henceforth called GC, is a small sized IT company that is tackling an unmet opportunity, they are revolutionizing the online presence of the independent hotel industry by offering a fully integrated e-commerce management solution that allows hotels to create an outstanding online presence, resulting in an increase of their online bookings, through equipping hoteliers with innovative e-commerce optimization features, in a fast and affordable way. Up until now this was only within reach of big hotel chains, thus GC is leveling the playing field, as well as empowering hoteliers to bypass intermediaries, reducing costs while increasing sales growth. Notwithstanding, CG has massive costs that are impacting seriously the company and causing a huge negative EBIT of €1.100.000, meaning that their revenues of €300.000 are not able to cover minimally their costs of €1.400.000 estimated for 2010. Thereby, GC has an innovative business model that is sustainable, if and only if, the company is able to capture a great market share. GC was demanded to internationalize and will have to proceed on doing it to obtain the required customer base and overcome the delicate financial situation. Being a web based company, GC has perceived that it not enough to have a website to attract clients, it is required highly countries‟ adaptations to boost sales. That is the reason why this project has as its cornerstone the internationalization process of GC to China, therefore, the purpose of this work and its major added value is not only to build up and streamlining a step-by-step internationalization business plan with accurate solutions to enter and succeed in this market, but also, recommend GC the right momentum to enter in it, having in mind the tradeoff between the consolidation of their financial position and the vitality of the Chinese market

The Digital Content Era

In order to become even more competitive, a partnering with other niche players is essential in achieving a competitive advantage and it enables opportunities for reintermediation. From an intermediate perspective, there are great possibilities for those who become content coordinators to enter the market. By becoming a bundler of services and products, the content coordinators will become the actors that will capture the most profit in the value web. The value creating drivers that have been identified in the business landscape of intermediates concern owning the content or owning the customer relationship. We find the possibilities of an intermediate actor, such as a content coordinator to achieve competitive advantage through strategic fit is subject to the context and the ability of creating more innovative and co-creative distribution systems. Our research shows that to have the potential of achieving competitive advantage in the value web, it is of utmost importance that the intermediate actor creates new value that has not been created yet. Reaching a critical mass is also essential to attain strategic fit and achieve competitive advantages in this business