Technology Standardization Battles: An Agent Based Analysis

A competition between two or more technologies for becoming the dominant technological standard is a regular occurrence and some popular examples include media formats, Internet browsers, operating systems, game consoles etc. This study introduces an Analytical Framework for Technological Standardization (AFTS) that helps analyze competitors involved in a technical standard competition. This paper presents case studies of technological standardization which include success of QWERTY keyboard standard, mobile operating systems like iPhone and Android, and the Fourth Generation (4G) Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) standard. Network economic concepts are useful to explain the market factors and tactics that contenders use to compete. Researchers conducting similar sorts of analysis have also relied on using economic concepts. The study extends the AFTS to set up Agent Based Model (ABM) simulations in order to mimic market conditions. The main focus of simulation models is on keyboard standard battle (historic) and the 4G BWA competition (unsettled) while employing multi methodological techniques. The ABM is set up to simulate a market with consumers and technology providers. By simulating several scenarios we can learn and explain what constitutes key drivers for these competitions. The ability to simulate a unsettled competition will be of value to the stakeholders involved

“Caveat Emptor”: Cultural Assumptions in Information Technology Innovation

“Caveat emptor” in Latin or “let buyer beware” is a maxim from early common law that proposes that the buyer is responsible for using sound judgment in the purchase of goods and services based on their intended context of use. Used analogously for “ let the innovator beware” the paper looks at information technology (IT) innovation, with its adaptororiented nature, and puts into question the prepackaged artifact’s use across diverse cultures. If widespread adoption of IT is to persist we have to address the cultural assumptions that permeates IT literature. The emerging discourses on culture and social construction highlight the need for the inclusion of alternative views on the conceptualization, construction and development of culture. Using the historical socio-constructivist perspective of activity theory, the paper presents three assumptions designed to act as a sensitizing device and complement existing literature on IT innovation by providing a foundation for context-differentiated reasoning

Development of a clinician-facing prototype for health monitoring using smartwatch data

Wearable technology in the form of smartwatches and advanced analytics are set to reshape healthcare by facilitating prevention, early diagnosis, personalized treatment, and management of chronic diseases. However, gaining insights from vast amounts of smartwatch data remains challenging for healthcare providers due to complex data formats and lack of training. To mitigate this shortcoming, healthcare professionals need tools that support them in analysing and presenting smartwatch data in an easy-to-understand way. Therefore, this study uses a design science approach to co-design, develop and evaluate an application prototype that analyses smartwatch data and allows healthcare providers to use this data to manage aspects of patients\u27 health. The preliminary results of the co-design and development phases are reported. The meaningful involvement of healthcare providers in designing and evaluating such analytical tools would help develop relevant and useful health monitoring applications that can be scaled in real-world settings

On a Cost Allocation Problem Arising from a Star-Star Capacitated Concentrator Location Problem

We analyze a cost allocation problem associated with the Star-Star Capacitated Concentrator Location (SSCCL) problem. The problem is formulated as a cost cooperative game in characteristic function form to be referred to as the SSCCL game. The characterization and computation of game theoretic solution concepts associated with this game are investigated. We show that, in general, the core of this cooperative game may be empty. However, we provide a polynomial representation of the core of the SSCCL game. In case of nonemptiness of the core we provide an efficient method to find the nucleolus. For the case when the core is empty, we propose the least weighted e-core as a concept for fair cost allocation for the SSCCL problem and give its polynomial characterization. Moreover, certain \u27central\u27 point of the least weighted e-core is also efficiently characterized

SEC-TOE Framework: Exploring Security Determinants in Big Data Solutions Adoption

As in any new technology adoption in organizations, big data solutions (BDS) also presents some security threat and challenges, especially due to the characteristics of big data itself - the volume, velocity and variety of data. Even though many security considerations associated to the adoption of BDS have been publicized, it remains unclear whether these publicized facts have any actual impact on the adoption of the solutions. Hence, it is the intent of this research-in-progress to examine the security determinants by focusing on the influence that various technological factors in security, organizational security view and security related environmental factors have on BDS adoption. One technology adoption framework, the TOE (technological-organizational-environmental) framework is adopted as the main conceptual research framework. This research will be conducted using a Sequential Explanatory Mixed Method approach. Quantitative method will be used for the first part of the research, specifically using an online questionnaire survey. The result of this first quantitative process will then be further explored and complemented with a case study. Results generated from both quantitative and qualitative phases will then be triangulated and a cross-study synthesis will be conducted to form the final result and discussion

A comparative analysis of selected national and regional investment initiatives that seek to achieve broadband expansion by deploying NGA networks

Expectations about higher economic growth and the ever-increasing demand for higher bandwidth are driving the worldwide deployment of Next-Generation Access (NGA) networks. The paths followed to achieve this goal markedly vary, however, across different countries. This article offers a comparison of a handful of leading NGA deployments that rely on different investment models. We study the broadband national initiatives of New Zealand and Australia and a group of selected regional NGA deployments in Europe. While New Zealand's approach partially relies on a public-private partnership model of investment, Australia's National Broadband Network is a wholly government-funded initiative and the European local initiatives in Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands, and Portugal use a range of mixed models of investment. We use a common technology-policy-market framework that allows for a clear mapping of the incentives, goals, and actions of those involved in network deployment. Our main interest is the identification of the drivers for investment as well as the description of main risk factors in each case. By applying this framework to those selected deployment cases our work draws relevant conclusions about the impact of investment decisions on performance criteria such as coverage and uptake

Technology and market conditions toward a new competitive landscape in the wireless access market

This article argues that the wireless telecommunication market is about to witness a shift in business models and market structure as a result of the deployment of new broadband access technologies, spectrum management techniques, policy-based network management, and the drive of new entrants to compete against the incumbents. The article discusses four agents of evolutionary changes: a range of broadband wireless access standards and technologies that are frontrunners in the industry’s efforts to embody the next generation of wireless networks; new provider-customer relationships facilitated through changes in the usual contract patterns that will allow consumers to enter short-term and spot contracts with the new wireless providers; an overview of the current debate on spectrum management; and an explanation of how autonomic communications and policybased management would support the new structure. Finally, the article asserts the necessity for the integration of the heterogeneous technologies that make up this emerging, hybrid wireless landscape, and describes the economic characteristics of a new competitive scenario.Postprint (published version