Research On The Business Model And Design Science For Context-Aware Mobile Services

Since the 1990s, a new economic model "Electronic Commerce (E-C)", which based on Internet, has rapidly covered various industries. In a global context, governments, organizations, enterprises and hundreds of millions of individual users had already participated in E-C activities in diversified forms and levels. This has brought the development of E-C into a booming era. Undoubtedly, E-C has successfully made significant changes to the world. After decades of development, however, the world is now in an age of digitalization already and the booming of EC has gradually faded. More and more people have started to think about how to keep the future sustainability of E-C. Meanwhile, with the swift and violent advancement of both wireless communication technologies and mobile terminal devices, the vision of "Ubiquitous Computing" is approaching our real life closer and closer. The needs of breaking the time-and-location-limitations of information services and business activities keep growing, too. The significant success of E-C and the wonderful outlook of Ubiquitous Computing have promoted the development of "Mobile Commerce (M-C)" to a large extent.In an early stage, M-C was viewed as a kind of mobile E-C, or an extension of E-C. Along with the deeper exploration of this field, the difference between E-C and M-C has become increasingly significant. Therefore, more and more scholars and experts incline to separate the research of M-C from E-C and and have obtained many excellent research results, among which, Context-Aware Mobile Services, one of the new results generated from the Ubiquitous Computing, has pushed the M-C to a new high point. Although the trend and fashion of M-C now is very similar to the earlier E-C, can the legend of M-C last long or can M-C recreate the glory of E-C are challenging questions which have become common focus in both academic field and practical industries. Based on extensively reading of relevant literatures and in-depth study of previous research, we cover four major subjects in this dissertation which are closely related:(1) Mobile Commerce, (2) Context-Awareness, (3) Business Model, and (4) Design Science. We discuss the integration of business model with design science for context-aware mobile services. The major contents of this research are as following:Firstly, research on the conceptual business model of context-aware mobile services. M-C and traditional E-C are closely related. M-C was once viewed as an extension or a new form of E-C, but now the viewpoint of separation is commonly accepted. This dissertation proposes a conceptual business model oriented to context-aware mobile services, which contains three sub-models:composition model, design model, and evaluation model. We discuss some key questions from four dimensions (service, technology, organization and finance) that are related with value propositions, technical architecture, value network, profit sharing, etc.Secondly, research on the development methodology and technical framework of context-aware mobile services. Compared with other information systems, mobility and awareness of context-aware mobile system seem to be the two aspects that are most significantly different. This dissertation puts forward a development methodology oriented to context-aware mobile services, and introduces the construction of sensor network, main functions of services, key components, and framework.Thirdly, research on the application of design science in the business model and technical framework of context-aware mobile services. The sign of a successful information system is not how advanced its technologies are, but is whether it can create and maintain values for all stakeholders in the long run. Therefore, it takes more than technologies to make profit from technologies. This dissertation emphasizes the importance of introducing the design science theories to guide the design of context-aware mobile services, and integrates the principles and constructions of design science into business model.Fourthly, design of a context-aware mobile services prototype system with tourism background. The tourism industry is particularly suitable for the application of context-aware mobile services, because the tourists are always on the move and wish they can get context-related information. This dissertation introduces how to design and develop a context-aware tourism prototype system, and through which to verify and modify the development methodology and the theoretical model.