The purpose of this research is to explore the business strategies of a firm seeking to develop and profitably market a mobile smartphone application to understand how small, digital entrepreneurships may build sustainable business models given substantial market barriers. Through a detailed examination of one firm’s process to try to commercialize their mobile app, we identify various business model decisions and marketing strategy approaches that hindered the company’s efforts. The case study describes two distinctly different business models adopted in succession, as well as the various adjustments the firm makes to its target market, distribution and pricing approach that led to their current strategy. This research looks closely at business-to-business-to-consumer distribution arrangement for mobile apps and in doing so challenges the rising positive bias that exists for the app store as the dominant actor in the mobile value chain. For practice, this paper suggests unanticipated hurdles small digital entrepreneurs may face if they rely heavily on mobile advertising and the app store to launch and sustain their business.

The purpose of this research is to explore project success factors and freelance marketplace characteristics that are critical to the success of software development projects on freelance marketplaces, while identifying important metrics to measure the success of software development projects on freelance marketplaces. This exploratory study is done from the point of view of the software development services buyer. Three methodologies were developed for the purpose of this research. First, a methodology for the definition of the freelance marketplace concept and the delimitation of the field of study was followed. Second, a methodology for sourcing opinions from blogs and self-published articles was created to mine information to complement the scant specialized literature on the subject of freelance marketplace characteristics and freelance marketplace project success factors. Third, a survey methodology was used as the main data collection instrument. The findings suggest that freelance marketplaces play the role of enabler of project success factors. The most important success factors are focused on product quality, project efficiency factors, cost control factors, and qualifications of the buyer. The most important metric to measure the success of software development projects on freelance marketplaces was quality in use.

The purpose of this research is to explore project success factors and freelance marketplace characteristics that are critical to the success of software development projects on freelance marketplaces, while identifying important metrics to measure the success of software development projects on freelance marketplaces. This exploratory study is done from the point of view of the software development services buyer. Three methodologies were developed for the purpose of this research. First, a methodology for the definition of the freelance marketplace concept and the delimitation of the field of study was followed. Second, a methodology for sourcing opinions from blogs and self-published articles was created to mine information to complement the scant specialized literature on the subject of freelance marketplace characteristics and freelance marketplace project success factors. Third, a survey methodology was used as the main data collection instrument. The findings suggest that freelance marketplaces play the role of enabler of project success factors. The most important success factors are focused on product quality, project efficiency factors, cost control factors, and qualifications of the buyer. The most important metric to measure the success of software development projects on freelance marketplaces was quality in use.

Small and medium enterprises in Nigeria rarely use eCommerce, which has led to lagging market shares and profitability compared to firms in other countries that use eCommerce. Approximately 90% of boutique fashion businesses shut down their businesses due to the inability to operate outside their business location. The social exchange theory was used in this multiple case study to explore how some small business owners in the boutique fashion industry use eCommerce to improve product marketing and profitability in Nigeria. The target population for this study was 5 fashion boutique owners based in Lagos State, Nigeria with a significant record of profitability by using eCommerce in product marketing. The data collection was through semistructured face-to-face interviews with 5 business leaders; each from different fashion boutiques in Lagos. Data collected was first coded to maintain confidentiality of participants, the digital recordings was transcribed into a Microsoft word document, and Nvivo 10 software was used to analyze and generate emerging themes. The data analysis was supported by methodological triangulation and member checking to enhance the credibility and trustworthiness of the interpretations. Two of the themes that emerged from the study were generating sales to improve profitability and strategic store locations. Use of eCommerce may contribute to social change through an increase in successful startups, increased employment, and the positive impact such companies have in the societies and communities they operate. Leveraging eCommerce may enable small- and medium-sized enterprise leaders to operate sustainable businesses.

近年來由於網際網路的發達，帶動電子商務的興起、活絡，消費者消費型態的改變直接的衝擊到各個零售通路的經營，台灣地區便利商店的發展更是快速，密集度位居全球之冠。 未來，如何在有限的實體空間下，充分發揮連鎖型便利商店據點多、分佈廣、以及全天候營業的特性，運用虛擬化的模式擴大經營服務的範圍。 本研究是以便利商店業就其在代收服務、電子商務服務、預購服務、以及物流服務導入虛擬化經營模式的作業架構及作業流程一一探討，在其演進的過程中都是以如何提供消費者更便利的服務為前提。 / In recent years, eBusiness has grown enormously due to the popularity of the Internet. This change in consumers' buying habits has a direct impact on the management of retail businesses, including convenience stores. The density of these stores in Taiwan ranks among the highest in the world, and their numbers are rapidly increasing. In the future, with limited available space, how shall we use the virtual business operation model to expand the scope of the management and service using benefits of convenience stores, such as multiple locations, wide distribution and 24/7 availability? In this research, we discuss methods to provide better service to consumers, by using the virtual business operation flowchart along with services provided by convenience stores, such as bill payment, eBusiness, pre-sale and logistics services.

El desarrollo sostenible de las zonas urbanas es un reto de alto interés a nivel mundial. En los años 70 nadie podía haber pensado en la información como un activo de nuestra sociedad. Hoy en día las nuevas tecnologías ponen a nuestro alcance una ingente cantidad de recursos impensable para manejar todos los datos generados por la ciudad. Una gestión adecuada de la ciudad dependerá del continente, de la cantidad y de la naturaleza de los datos y de los recursos e infraestructuras a tener en cuenta. Esto es el inicio de lo que puede hacer cambiar el concepto actual de ciudad permitiendo una mayor conectividad e interacción autónoma, sin intervención humana, entre todos los servicios que caracterizan un núcleo urbano, aproximándonos de este modo a lo que sería la 'ciudad inteligente' o SmartCity. Para desarrollar este concepto, una característica de gran importancia que debe tenerse en cuenta es la movilidad de los elementos que la componen y le dan vida, pues es aquello que permite el día a día en el núcleo urbano. Un elemento muy importante en este contexto es el vehículo eléctrico (FEV, 'Full Electric Vehicle'), por todas las razones que vemos en nuestro trabajo. Para una adecuada puesta en marcha del FEV es necesario integrarlo con el resto de infraestructuras que influyen en la movilidad en la ciudad. Esto permitirá hacer realidad ese nuevo modelo urbano inteligente que pretendemos alcanzar y que es nuestro futuro. Nuestro trabajo ha consistido en investigar y diseñar una solución de interoperabilidad que gestione la utilización del FEV en un entorno urbano, aprovechando las infraestructuras existentes, optimizando los recursos de que disponemos, e integrando las posibilidades de comunicación que las TIC nos ofrecen. Nos planteamos dos objetivos en nuestro trabajo, el primero de los cuales es integrar y poner en marcha el FEV en la SmartCity. Para ello hemos necesitado estudiar las partes más relevantes de un sistema de información centralizado para controlar la autonomía del FEV en la SmartCity, prever la demanda de energía a la red (es decir, estimar la energía total que tendrá que disponer inicialmente la red para atender la posible demanda de energía), controlar la disponibilidad neta de energía en las estaciones de carga de la red y finalmente diseñar el proceso de gestión activa de la demanda que permita optimizar el consumo energético y los precios. Por otra parte, el segundo de nuestros objetivos consiste en estudiar cómo los factores que intervienen en la movilidad dentro de la SmartCity pueden garantizar que el desplazamiento del FEV se lleve a cabo según lo planificado y con ello integrar adecuadamente los FEV en el sistema de movilidad urbano. Es decir, se trata de integrar el entorno de gestión del FEV, estudiado en la primera parte, con el entorno externo al FEV en la SmartCity, proporcionando así una solución global al problema de integración del FEV en el nuevo ecosistema de ciudades europeas. Para ello se requiere optimizar la interacción entre el FEV y los servicios de información meteorológica, de tráfico y de movilidad en la ciudad como son el transporte público, el estacionamiento y el alquiler (e-sharing), además de una necesaria estrategia de predicción del tráfico para la toma anticipada de decisiones. / Sustainable development of urban areas is a challenge of highest interest at global level. Never before could anyone have thought of the information as an asset of our society. The advent of the new technologies have provided us with a huge amount of unthinkable resources to manage the data generated by the city and make urban areas evolve. Nowadays a proper management of the city will depend on the continent, the amount and nature of the data and the resources and infrastructures to be taken into account. This is the beginning of what will make the current concept of city change. The new model of the city we will face is due to a higher connectivity and interaction, without human intervention, among all the services that determine an urban centre. This is an approach to what would be the 'intelligent city' or SmartCity. To develop this concept, a feature of paramount importance is the mobility of the elements that form it and make it live, as it is what supports the daily routine in the urban model. A very important element in this context is the electric vehicle (FEV, 'Full Electric Vehicle'), for all the reasons we see in our work. For a proper launching of the FEV it is necessary to integrate it with the rest of infrastructures that influence the mobility in the city. Our work has consisted of researching and designing an interoperability solution to manage the use of the FEV in the urban landscape. The first of our goals in this work is to put the FEV in place into the SmartCity. To achieve it, it is required to study the most relevant parts of a centralised information system in order to manage the vehicle autonomy, the energy demand in the city, the energy availability in each charge station and a user interface to communite with the system. Moreover, the system will be able to manage, in a proactive way, the needs of the network in order to optimise costs and improve efficiency. On the other hand, the second of our objectives is to study how the factors involved in the mobility within the SmartCity can ensure that FEV mobility is carried out as planned and, with it, conveniently integrate the FEV in the urban mobility system. In other words, our aim is to integrate the FEV management landscape, studied in the first part, with the other agents of mobility into the SmartCity, thus providing a comprehensive solution to the problem of integration of the FEV in the new European cities ecosystem. This requires optimizing the interaction between the FEV and the meteorological information, traffic and mobility services in the city such as public transport, parking and e-sharing, in addition to a necessary traffic forecasting strategy for the early decision-making. / El desenvolupament sostenible de les zones urbanes és un repte d'alt interès a nivell mundial. Fins els anys 70 ningú podia haver pensat en la informació com un actiu de la nostra societat. Avui en dia les noves tecnologies posen al nostre abast una ingent quantitat de recursos impensable per a gestionar totes les dades generades per la ciutat. Una gestió adequada de la ciutat dependrà del continent, de la quantitat i de la naturalesa de les dades i dels recursos i infraestructures a tenir en compte. Això és l'inici del que pot fer canviar el concepte actual de ciutat permetent una major connectivitat i interacció autònoma, sense intervenció humana, entre tots els serveis que caracteritzen un nucli urbà, aproximant d'aquesta manera el que serà la 'ciutat intel·ligent 'o SmartCity. Per desenvolupar aquest concepte, una característica de gran importància que cal tenir en compte és la mobilitat dels elements que la componen i li donen vida, ja que és allò que permet el dia a dia al nucli urbà. Un element molt important en aquest context és el vehicle elèctric (FEV, 'Full Electric Vehicle'), per totes les raons que veiem al nostre treball. Per a una adequada posada en marxa del FEV cal integrar-lo amb la resta d'infraestructures que influeixen en la mobilitat a la ciutat. Això permetrà fer realitat aquest nou model urbà intel·ligent que pretenem assolir. És sense dubte el nostre futur. El nostre treball ha consistit en investigar i dissenyar una solució d'interoperabilitat que gestione la utilització del FEV en un entorn urbà, aprofitant les infraestructures existents, optimitzant els recursos de què disposem, i integrant les possibilitats de comunicació que les TIC ens ofereixen. Ens plantegem dos objectius en el nostre treball, el primer dels quals és integrar i posar en marxa el FEV a la SmartCity. Per a això hem necessitat estudiar les parts més rellevants d'un sistema d'informació centralitzat per controlar l'autonomia del FEV a la SmartCity, preveure la demanda d'energia a la xarxa (és a dir, estimar l'energia total que haurà de disposar inicialment la xarxa per atendre la possible demanda d'energia), controlar la disponibilitat neta d'energia a les estacions de càrrega de la xarxa i finalment dissenyar el procés de gestió activa de la demanda que permeti optimitzar el consum energètic i els preus. D'altra banda, el segon dels nostres objectius consisteix a estudiar com els factors que intervenen en la mobilitat dins de la SmartCity poden garantir que el desplaçament del FEV es dugui a terme segons el planificat i amb això integrar adequadament els FEV en el sistema de mobilitat urbà. És a dir, es tracta d'integrar l'entorn de gestió del FEV, ja estudiat en la primera part, amb l'entorn extern al FEV a la SmartCity, proporcionant així una solució global al problema d'integració del FEV en el nou ecosistema de ciutats europees. Per a això es requereix optimitzar la interacció entre el FEV i els serveis d'informació meteorològica, de trànsit i de mobilitat a la ciutat com són el transport públic, l'estacionament i el lloguer (e-sharing), a més d'una necessària estratègia de predicció del trànsit per a la presa anticipada de decisions. / Fernández Pallarés, V. (2018). Interoperabilidad en el futuro ecosistema europeo de ciudades inteligentes [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/106365