Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program, 2008. / This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 145-157). / Unified Communications: Convergence of Platforms and Strategies of Two Software Vendors by Muhammad Zia Hydari ABSTRACT Unified communication (UC) is the convergence of various modes of communication - voice telephony, email, instant messaging (IM), video conferencing and so on - used by enterprise workers. Academic literature exists that discusses digital convergence in various domains. Although UC has received considerable attention in the business press, we are not aware of any academic study within the domain of UC that explains the convergence of platforms and its links to the technology strategy of UC firms. This thesis presents an academic analysis of some platforms underlying UC and the emerging strategies of two software firms within the UC market. The theory of network effects originally developed by Rohlfs is central to the analysis in this thesis. The analysis of platform strategies of the UC firms is informed by the theoretical work on platform leadership (Gawer & Cusumano), convergence (Greenstein et al.), platform envelopment (Eisenmann et al.), and two-sided platforms (Tirole et al.). The thesis first describes four platform applications underlying UC viz. voice telephony, email, IM, and video communication. The analysis of email, IM and video communication in this thesis is unique as it takes a long term view to explain the current market situation within these domains. In particular, the thesis describes technological factors, network effects, standard battles, and competition that have led to the current market state. The thesis also links insights from these platforms to repercussions for UC supplier firms. The thesis then describes the strategies of two software vendors - Microsoft and IBM - using elements from Gawer & Cusumano's work on platform leadership. / (cont.) Microsoft has defined a broad scope of innovation for its converged UC platform requiring it to enter the voice telephony market. The thesis posits that Microsoft's strategy for success is platform envelopment i.e. Microsoft is using shared components and installed user base from its email and IM platforms to create a multi-platform bundle and compete with entrenched platforms in the voice market. The thesis argues that IBM's choice for a narrower platform scope stems from its inferior market position in the email and IM markets as well as scope differences (vis-a-vis Microsoft). Convergence has created system integration opportunities that IBM's services unit has targeted. The thesis describes the implications of IBM's decisions on its ecosystem. / by Muhammad Zia Hydari. / S.M.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design & Management Program, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 103-104). / by E. Dan Douglas. / S.M.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program, 2006. / Page 141 blank. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 84-87). / There exists a broad body of literature documenting organizational responses to competitive threats, including those responses which fit into the threat-rigidity hypothesis. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate how a novel organizational form, the open-source software development community known as the Apache Software Foundation, responds to a specific type of threat: security issues reported to exist in its software products. An analysis of publicly available data from the Apache Software Foundation is conducted, the security issue handling process is described in detail, and an analysis on security issue origin, severity, and resolution is provided. Special attention is given to communication along the issue resolution process, as the threat-rigidity hypothesis predicts a reduction in the flow of information across the organization. / (cont.) The results show that this organization defies some central predictions of the hypothesis: there is little reduction in information flow, little or no centralization in decision-making, and no loss of group-level focus. The research results are framed within the literature of user-led innovation and organizational behavior. The implications for traditional software development organizations are discussed, and recommendations for further research are provided. / by Yoav Shapira. / S.M.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design & Management Program, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 94-95). / The move toward Customer-Driven Product Development is changing the way companies operate their business and is re-defining future products. For example, phrases such as: Connecting with Customers, Customer First, Customer Focused Strategy and Customer Focused are all strategies being adopted by Ford Motor Company to help their products meet the needs of customers. The focus on customers has become a top priority within the organization through top down and bottom up implementation. Product requirements developed from the voice of the customer can provide valuable insight into the critical customer needs for a product. The ability to obtain, understand, analyze and incorporate those customer requirements into the product development system is critical to the success of a product. The challenge is developing a framework for gaining customer-voice data, analyzing that data, developing product requirements and linking those requirements to the product development system while meeting the objectives set forth for the product. The process requires an understanding of the product, engineering knowledge to develop and analyze product requirements and a familiarization of the product development process within a company. The product requirements developed from this study provided insight into the critical areas of the Mustang with customers. The effect of product requirements from the voice of the customer is moving organizations toward customer-driven product development and is changing the way business is done. This thesis provides a method to gain the voice of the customer, utilizes a framework for development and analysis of product requirements and links those requirements to the product development process. / by Ronald J. Mastronardi. / S.M.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 93-95). / This thesis lays the necessary groundwork for measuring the complexity of systems architecture models. We propose a set of complexity measures, which are usable with models defined using the Object-Process Model (OPM). In order to do this, we introduce a new concept of interface complexity multiplier for compensating the hidden information at interfaces. We also define a set of complexity metrics for system architecture models. We also develop models for three different systems for mobile entertainment. The purpose of these models is to show how OPM is suitable for modeling such systems and also to provide some comparative material for complexity measurements. We use the new metrics to determine the complexity of the models of mobile entertainment systems. The thesis also contains a rigorous definition of complexity and a survey of existing complexity measurement methods. / by Matti J. Kinnunen. / S.M.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 75). / by Varun Parmar. / S.M.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design & Management Program, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 75). / It is predicted by many in the industry that over the next decade automotive OEM's will look more and more like "vehicle-brand owners," focusing efforts on branding, marketing, and building a stronger retail channel. This is especially true of the U.S. automakers, who are today entrenched in a desperate struggle to reclaim their declining market shares from foreign counterparts. As a result, demands placed on tier-one suppliers have increased, competition throughout the supply-chain has intensified, and new strategies for sustainability are needed. The myriad engineering, development, and validation responsibilities passed down by OEM's have resulted in the formation of a new first-tier supplier - the systems integrator. The transition from components to integrated systems and modules has definite implications on the firm's innovation and product development processes. This paper focuses on supplier innovation strategies, and argues that the proper alignment between value creation and value capture aspects of an innovation are required to maximize its profitability potential. Ten ArvinMeritor (tier-one supplier) innovations are examined in attempt to determine what critical factors had the most impact on profitability (or lack thereof). The results are then placed in a systems context, and a framework is generated to conceptualize the critical inputs to the systems innovation process. The foundation of the framework is depicted as two rotating wheels, the System Architecture (value creation) wheel, and the Revenue Architecture (value capture) wheel. The wheels gain momentum from a number of critical interdependent inputs to the value creation and capture processes, and furthermore, the sustained momentum of each wheel / (cont.) is needed to keep the other in motion. These framework inputs are discussed in detail, and collectively represent a conceptual path forward for ArvinMeritor as it continues its transitional journey to the realm of the systems integrator. / by Nathan A. Clark. / S.M.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design & Management Program, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 152-153). / All firms in any mature product development industry are being pressured into performing 'better, faster, and cheaper' by both customers and competitors. In short, firms are being tasked with doing more, with less, faster. This leads to product development organizations being unrealistically tasked to deliver on these programs that often lead to projects falling behind schedule, over budget, and with inadequate quality. While striving to do the right actions to survive, the management of these firms may be leading their firms to disaster through over commitment, and short-term management actions to address the quality, budget, and schedule shortfalls. An understanding of the system dynamics associated with the program management of new product development (NPD) programs is essential to reversing this trend. Several corporations are instituting system dynamics in their management and executive training curricula to affect correct policies, procedures, and behaviors that lead to success. However, because the correct policies, procedures, and behaviors as revealed by system dynamics analysis are counter-intuitive and opposite those policies currently employed in program management, a method is needed to drive the learning of system dynamics so that it becomes ingrained in the program management thought processes. A management flight simulator (MFS) of the program management of a new product development project based on system dynamics provides the hands on experience that managers can learn the consequences of non systems-thinking policies on project performance and how system dynamics based policies can lead to greater success. This thesis provides an overview of the system dynamics of project management in new product development and insight into the / (cont.) correct policies, procedures, and behaviors that lead to success. Research on the role of MFSs in driving the learning of system dynamics principles is explored. A single-phase system dynamics model for a new product development program and a MFS is developed to teach the fundamental lessons of system dynamics applied to product development project management and is to be incorporated in the BP Project Academy. Insight from my own experiences in product development is incorporated in this MFS as well as in recommendations for further development. / by Daniel V. MacInnis. / S.M.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 93-100). / Back in 2003, Blogs as well as wikis started the Web 2.0 frenzy with online community networks and user generated content. Web 2.0 has recently cooled down, but it may have started a new era. The purpose of this paper is to explore the blogonomics - the business, as well as social, changes blogs have brought to us. It applies system thinking to analyze blogs, from blog elements (forms) to blog systems, and then to major components in the blog ecosystem. This paper focuses on the returns on blogs (ROB), mainly the business impact. Blog marketing, including word-of-mouth marketing (WOMM) and blog ads, has been discussed extensively along with the business models that can monetize blogs. It also proposes to use blogs as innovative tools for collaboration and content management. This paper primarily targets companies interested in the benefit from blogs. Furthermore, it hopes to explore a few innovative blog business models for entrepreneurs and serve anyone who is genuinely interested in blogs and Web 2.0. / by Ching Q. Guo. / S.M.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references. / A slew of articles have been written about the fact that computing will eventually go in the direction of electricity. Just as most software users these days also own the hardware that runs the software, electricity users in the days of yore used to generate their own power. However, over time with standardization in voltage and frequency of generated power and better distribution mechanisms the generation of electricity was consolidated amongst fewer utility providers. The same is being forecast for computing infrastructure. Its is being touted that more and more users will rent computing infrastructure from a utility or "cloud" provider instead of maintaining their own hardware. This phenomenon or technology is being referred to Cloud Computing or Utility Computing. Cloud computing has been in existence in some form or the other since the beginning of computing. However, the advent of vastly improved software, hardware and communication technologies has given special meaning to the term cloud computing and opened up a world of possibilities. It is possible today to start an ecommerce or related company without investing in datacenters. This has turned out to be very beneficial to startups and smaller companies that want to test the efficacy of their idea before making any investment in expensive hardware. Corporations like Amazon, SalesForce.com, Google, IBM, Sun Microsystems, and many more are offering or planning to offer these infrastructure services in one form or another. / (cont.) An ecosystem has already been created and going by the investment and enthusiasm in this space the ecosystem is bound to grow. This thesis tries to define and explain the fundamentals of cloud computing. It looks at the technical aspects of this industry and the kind of applications where cloud can be used. It also looks at the economic value created by the platform, the network externalities, its effect on traditional software companies and their reaction to this technology. The thesis also tries to apply the principle of multi-homing, coring and tipping to the cloud-computing platform and explain the results. The hurdles for both users and providers of this service are also examined in this thesis. / by Ratnadeep Bhattacharjee. / S.M.