End-user perspectives on the Adoption of Wireless Applications: Price of Convenience and a Model for Contextual Analysis

Information services delivered via wireless, portable communication devices continue to pervade our work and leisure spaces. While people are continuously bombarded with promises of newer and better ways to maintain contact with others and to have constant access to information, however, there remain a number of open issues that inhibit the potential for an open information society. The bidirectional influence between such wireless technologies and applications and their potential end-users, contributes to the development of both the technologies and applications and the social setting in which they are embedded. In this paper, we extend current studies of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) uptake by integrating interpretations of “ubiquitous computing” and its pervasion of everyday life. We draw upon findings from a range of IS research to structure our future studies of adoption issues in relation to a variety of wireless application cases. We show that, while some “traditional” IS/IT dimensions of uptake still hold, there are now a variety of other “non- utilitarian (hedonic)” factors that developers and designers need to take into account. We conclude by proposing a research model – expanded from model of user acceptability and product uptake, a descriptive framework based on the “Price of Convenience”(Ng-Kruelle, Swatman, Rebne and Hampe 2002)

Biometrics and e-Identity (e-Passport) in the European Union: End-User Perspectives on the Adoption of a Controversial Innovation

This study deals with user acceptability of a proposed e-Passport in the European Union (EU). E-passport is an advanced version of a combined national identity card and travelling document which holds digitised biometric features of its associated individual for enhanced security of personal authentication. We attempt here to investigate the nature of the innovation and citizens’ attitudes to an e-Passport (or analogous innovation) in a range of socio-political-contexts within which the implementation occur. This paper reports the findings of an Internet Survey, conducted as the second part following a larger research program on biometrics-based e- Identity (e-Passport) acceptability and deployment issues. The data collected are interpreted under the guidance of the theoretic framework ‘Price of Convenience’ briefly described and fully referenced herein and theories of national culture after Hofstede [15], [16]. We found that although a direct and complete extrapolation of results from countries of similar cultural dimensions to another is not possible, limited referencing is still possible and provides a rather rich understanding of a country when it is used together with other dimensions of study. Although useful in helping to draw parallels between different countries, Hofstede’s work is not all encompassing. Thus we also proposed other contingency factors and indicators for e-Passport acceptance which can make countries with similar cultural dimensions appear very different in biometric technological adoption

e-Ticketing Strategy and Implementation in an Open Access System: The case of Deutsche Bahn

The paper describes the opportunities and challenges of e-ticketing in public transportation. While the concept of eticketing is prevalent in the airline industry, it is difficult to implement in an operating environment where the entire business strategy is based on an “open access ” system for flexible travelling. We present here the case study of Deutsche Bahn Mobility as the world’s largest logistic network, in its successful e-Ticketing implementation strategy. First we describe e-ticketing strategies in transportation and briefly differentiate two closely related industry: airlines and railways. Then we describe the strategy and challenges faced by DB in its e-Ticketing implementation follow by proposals of future market expansions areas based on existing platforms and infrastructure. Finally we conclude by setting out implications of this case study for the broader business and research community as agenda for future research. 1