Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research

256 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mobile Business and the Smart City: Developing a Business Model Framework to Include Public Design Parameters for Mobile City Services

by Nils Walravens

J. Theor. Appl. Electron. Commer. Res. 2012, 7(3), 121-135; https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-18762012000300011 - 01 Dec 2012

Cited by 66 | Viewed by 1029

Abstract

This article proposes a new business model framework that allows the design and analysis of value networks for mobile services in a public context. It starts from a validated business model framework that relies on 12 design parameters to evaluate business models on, [...] Read more.

This article proposes a new business model framework that allows the design and analysis of value networks for mobile services in a public context. It starts from a validated business model framework that relies on 12 design parameters to evaluate business models on, and expands it by eight parameters to include important aspects that come into play when a public entity (i.e. a city government) becomes (or wants to become) involved in the value network. This new framework is then applied to the case of the 311 service offered by the City of New York. Given the quickly changing power relations in the mobile telecommunications industry, this framework offers both an academic and practical tool, enabling the comparison and analysis of mobile city service business models. Full article

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Open AccessArticle

Municipal Benefits of Participatory Urban Sensing: A Simulation Approach and Case Validation

by Till J. Winkler, Holger Ziekow and Martin Weinberg

J. Theor. Appl. Electron. Commer. Res. 2012, 7(3), 101-120; https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-18762012000300010 - 01 Dec 2012

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 514

Abstract

Involving citizens in public affairs through the use of participatory sensing applications is an emerging theme in Pervasive Computing and mobile E-Government (M-Government). Prior work, however, suggests that local governments place more emphasis on internal than on external M-Government projects. This paper takes [...] Read more.

Involving citizens in public affairs through the use of participatory sensing applications is an emerging theme in Pervasive Computing and mobile E-Government (M-Government). Prior work, however, suggests that local governments place more emphasis on internal than on external M-Government projects. This paper takes an action design research perspective to provide insight into the often overlooked potential of citizen-centric, external M-Government services. We consider the scenario of a sensing application for reporting urban infrastructure issues to the municipality and present a System Dynamics model to estimate the diffusion, use, and municipal impacts of such service. The model is validated based on the case of a large German city, a dedicated survey, and further data sources. The simulation results indicate that, compared to internal information acquisition procedures, the use of urban sensing can improve a municipality’s availability of environmental information at a comparable level of cost. Furthermore, we discuss a number of aspects and learnings related to an urban sensing implementation and provide an empirical estimation of the diffusion model. Our results provide an impetus for researchers and government practitioners to reconsider the benefits of urban sensing applications in E-Government endeavors. Full article

915 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Virtual Cities in Urban Planning: The Uppsala Case Study

by Cristina Videira Lopes and Christer Lindström

J. Theor. Appl. Electron. Commer. Res. 2012, 7(3), 88-100; https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-18762012000300009 - 01 Dec 2012

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 668

Abstract

Gearing cities towards a path of sustainability is a daunting task. The urban models that we have come to accept during the 20^th century need to be revisited, but change, even if welcomed in abstract, is usually met in reality with enormous [...] Read more.

Gearing cities towards a path of sustainability is a daunting task. The urban models that we have come to accept during the 20^th century need to be revisited, but change, even if welcomed in abstract, is usually met in reality with enormous resistance from the economic and political models that underlie our cities. Some of the most powerful tools for promoting change are those related to conceptualization and visualization. When considering urban plans that aren't just incremental improvements over what already exists, city officials, urban planners and the general public must be able to visualize not just the merits of those plans in isolation, but how they interact with all the infrastructure that already exists. This paper describes one such urban plan that has been under consideration in the city of Uppsala, Sweden, for the past 5 years: a solar-powered Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) system connecting the main train station to the Hospital and the University. The process of discussing the PRT system included the development of a virtual reality simulation of parts of the city. We report on the process and role of this virtual reality simulation. Full article

1290 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Location-aware Mobile Services for a Smart City: Design, Implementation and Deployment

by Luca Calderoni, Dario Maio and Paolo Palmieri

J. Theor. Appl. Electron. Commer. Res. 2012, 7(3), 74-87; https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-18762012000300008 - 01 Dec 2012

Cited by 42 | Viewed by 770

Abstract

A smart city is a high-performance urban context, where citizens are more aware of, and more integrated into the city life, thanks to an intelligent city information system. In this paper we design, implement and deploy a smart application that retrieves and conveys [...] Read more.

A smart city is a high-performance urban context, where citizens are more aware of, and more integrated into the city life, thanks to an intelligent city information system. In this paper we design, implement and deploy a smart application that retrieves and conveys to the user relevant information on the user’s surroundings. This case study application let us discuss the challenges involved in creating a location-aware mobile service based on live information coming from the city IT infrastructure. The service, that is currently being deployed in the Italian city of Cesena, has been designed with the goal of being a general model for future applications. In particular, we discuss location-aware and mobile development, cloud and cluster based geographical data storage, and spatial data computation. For each of these topics we provide implementation and deployment solutions based on currently available technology. In particular we propose an architecture based on a complex On-Line Transaction Processing (OLTP) infrastructure. Furthermore, this paper represents the first comprehensive, scientific study on the subject. Full article

92 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Do Smart Cities Produce Smart Entrepreneurs?

by Sabrina Sauer

J. Theor. Appl. Electron. Commer. Res. 2012, 7(3), 63-73; https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-18762012000300007 - 01 Dec 2012

Cited by 46 | Viewed by 755

Abstract

Living Labs aim to engage in user-centered design practices where users are included in their daily life environment as innovative agents. However, empirical insights in end user engagement in Living Lab practices are currently lacking. This article focuses on opening up this black [...] Read more.

Living Labs aim to engage in user-centered design practices where users are included in their daily life environment as innovative agents. However, empirical insights in end user engagement in Living Lab practices are currently lacking. This article focuses on opening up this black box of user engagement by analyzing the involvement of a group of entrepreneurs in a Living Lab smart city pilot in Amsterdam, the Climate street. The goal of the article is to analyze how and to what extent the Climate street enabled the involved entrepreneurs to engage in bottom up innovation. Theoretically, the article explores this pilot from a Science and Technology Studies perspective, specifically its notion of the socio-technical network. The article concludes that user innovativeness was limited by the pre-configuration of the entrepreneur as lay tester rather than as an active user-innovator. Furthermore, it is suggested that the inherent tension in Living Lab practices between configuring users and actual user practices hampers user innovativeness in general. Granting users more agency and opening up Living Lab practices to daily life dynamics stimulates the transition from tester to innovator in a daily life setting and subsequently makes entrepreneurs more readily smart. Full article

243 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Smart Ideas for Smart Cities: Investigating Crowdsourcing for Generating and Selecting Ideas for ICT Innovation in a City Context

by Dimitri Schuurman, Bastiaan Baccarne, Lieven De Marez and Peter Mechant

J. Theor. Appl. Electron. Commer. Res. 2012, 7(3), 49-62; https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-18762012000300006 - 01 Dec 2012

Cited by 207 | Viewed by 1925

Abstract

Within this article, the strengths and weaknesses of crowdsourcing for idea generation and idea selection in the context of smart city innovation are investigated. First, smart cities are defined next to similar but different concepts such as digital cities, intelligent cities or ubiquitous [...] Read more.

Within this article, the strengths and weaknesses of crowdsourcing for idea generation and idea selection in the context of smart city innovation are investigated. First, smart cities are defined next to similar but different concepts such as digital cities, intelligent cities or ubiquitous cities. It is argued that the smart city-concept is in fact a more user-centered evolution of the other city-concepts which seem to be more technological deterministic in nature. The principles of crowdsourcing are explained and the different manifestations are demonstrated. By means of a case study, the generation of ideas for innovative uses of ICT for city innovation by citizens through an online platform is studied, as well as the selection process. For this selection, a crowdsourcing solution is compared to a selection made by external experts. The comparison of both indicates that using the crowd as gatekeeper and selector of innovative ideas yields a long list with high user benefits. However, the generation of ideas in itself appeared not to deliver extremely innovative ideas. Crowdsourcing thus appears to be a useful and effective tool in the context of smart city innovation, but should be thoughtfully used and combined with other user involvement approaches and within broader frameworks such as Living Labs. Full article

442 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Applying a Multicriteria Satisfaction Analysis Approach Based on User Preferences to Rank Usability Attributes in E-tourism Websites

by Rami Muhtaseb, Kleanthi Lakiotaki and Nikolaos Matsatsinis

J. Theor. Appl. Electron. Commer. Res. 2012, 7(3), 28-48; https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-18762012000300004 - 01 Dec 2012

Cited by 36 | Viewed by 877

Abstract

A user-centered approach in the development lifecycle of e- commerce websites is nowadays a crucial factor in the success of any on-line business. The purpose of this paper is twofold: a) to identify the factors that affect e-commerce website usability and b) to [...] Read more.

A user-centered approach in the development lifecycle of e- commerce websites is nowadays a crucial factor in the success of any on-line business. The purpose of this paper is twofold: a) to identify the factors that affect e-commerce website usability and b) to analyze the role of those factors in increasing the effectiveness of ecommerce web sites. Furthermore, it presents the application of a Multicriteria Satisfaction Analysis (MUSA) method to rank usability attributes in websites based on their competitiveness importance. A case study in eight e-tourism web-sites is presented as a demonstration of this work, the outcome of which will help usability specialists and e-commerce website developers to determine specific usability attributes that are more crucial to the overall usability and user satisfaction of a website. The results of the proposed approach suggest that for each e-commerce website certain usability attributes are likely to be more crucial to the success of the ecommerce website than others. Therefore, identifying the relevant usability attributes in advance through customers’ feedback can be a great advantage to website developers if they want to have an edge over other competitors. Full article

286 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fairness and Access Control for Mobile P2P Auctions over MANETs

by Hella Kaffel- Ben Ayed, Faouzi Jaïdi and Inès Doghri

J. Theor. Appl. Electron. Commer. Res. 2012, 7(3), 11-27; https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-18762012000300003 - 01 Dec 2012

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 403

Abstract

Mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) present similarities with Peer to Peer (P2P) systems in terms of decentralization, equality and autonomy. This results in the rise of new collaborative and spontaneous P2P applications over MANETs such as P2P auctions. The deployment of auctions over [...] Read more.

Mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) present similarities with Peer to Peer (P2P) systems in terms of decentralization, equality and autonomy. This results in the rise of new collaborative and spontaneous P2P applications over MANETs such as P2P auctions. The deployment of auctions over MANETS should provide new opportunities to the important marketplace created by mobile communities and may be a game changer in local markets when the mobile infrastructures are very pervasive. This business scenario implies multiple advantages such as ubiquity, availability, affordability, opportunity and spontaneity. Nevertheless, it faces various challenges such as fairness and security. In this paper we present a fully distributed architecture and a process designed to support P2P auctions over MANETs. The major goal of this paper is three-fold: i) to propose an estimation model of a fair round duration called Tfair (the bids collection duration) to fulfill fairness, ii) to propose a new scheme for access control and no replay that takes into consideration the unique constraints imposed by the crossing of MANETs, P2P and auctions, and iii) to validate the proposals by simulations. We prove the effectiveness of the proposed Tfair estimation model. We also show that the overhead of the proposed security solution is acceptable for the studied scenarios. Full article

55 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Special Issue on Smart Applications for Smart Cities – New Approaches to Innovation: Guest Editors' Introduction

by Hans Schaffers, Carlo Ratti and Nicos Komninos

J. Theor. Appl. Electron. Commer. Res. 2012, 7(3), II-VI; https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-18762012000300005 - 01 Dec 2012

Cited by 53 | Viewed by 476

Abstract

Cities are complex, networked and continuously changing social ecosystems, shaped and transformed through the interaction of different interests and ambitions. […] Full article

738 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Model for Context Aware Mobile Payment

by Leila Abedi, Mohammadali Nematbakhsh and Abbas Abdolmaleki

J. Theor. Appl. Electron. Commer. Res. 2012, 7(3), 1-10; https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-18762012000300002 - 01 Dec 2012

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 416

Abstract

With the advent of mobile networks and mobile devices, mobile payment has been attractive to many ecommerce users. Mobile environment features a wide range and an increasing number of access devices and network technologies. Context-aware content/service adaptation is deemed necessary to ensure best [...] Read more.

With the advent of mobile networks and mobile devices, mobile payment has been attractive to many ecommerce users. Mobile environment features a wide range and an increasing number of access devices and network technologies. Context-aware content/service adaptation is deemed necessary to ensure best user experience. We developed an Adaptation Management Framework (AMF) Mobile Payment Service which manages the complexity of dynamic and autonomous mobile payment service. In this Framework, a personal assistant agent is presented for automatic and intelligent payment and a model is implemented for inference and making appropriate decisions. To evaluate the suggested framework, context data were collected from content providers and a mobile network operator. The obtained results confirm the efficiency of the method. Full article

22 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Editorial: Research Network and Alert System

by Narciso Cerpa

J. Theor. Appl. Electron. Commer. Res. 2012, 7(3), I; https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-18762012000300001 - 01 Dec 2012

Viewed by 436

Abstract

We would like to thank our co-editors, editorial board members, guest editors, referees and authors that have contributed to JTAER with new ideas and editorial work during the last seven years. […] Full article

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J. Theor. Appl. Electron. Commer. Res., Volume 7, Issue 3 (December 2012) – 11 articles

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