Conducting a business model survey for a particular industry or sector.

After reading Business Model Generation, I want to better understand what the business models are in the now fast growing semantic technology space. I'm hoping to conduct a survey targeted at specific learning objectives (see below) that could be adapted to any other speciliazed area. Does anyone have any past experience they can share that might save me some wasted effort? E.g. has anyone done this before for a single industry or sector?


**** Learning Objectives for Semantic Technology Survey ****

Business Models and Value Propositions for Semantic Technology and Linked Data (STLD)
1. Past: What are some successful business models and value propositions of companies to date where semantic technology plays a critical role in the value proposition of the company? 
2. Present: What are some unproven business models and value propositions that are currently being tested in companies where semantic technology plays a critical role in the value proposition of the company?
3. Future: Is STLD going to spawn new value propositions and disruptive business models? If so, what might they look like?
4. What are the generic STLD-based value propositions that are likely to be most leveraged for successful STLD companies?  e.g. Flexibility, Agility, Interoperability, Cheaper maintenance.


How does STLD affect business models?
1. No link: Are there cases where traditional business models are being successfully reused with STLD companies -- and therefore STLD played no role in the success of the business model.
2. Enhance: Are there cases where certain aspects of STLD are clearly responsible for much increased success of existing business models?
3. Enable: Are there cases where certain aspects of STLD are clearly responsible for the creation of entirely new and potentially disruptive business models?
4. Factors: What are the specific aspects of STLD that can enhance existing, or enable new business models?
(e.g. the ability to rapidly recombine data in many different ways at near zero cost)


Industries and Business Sectors
1. Will semantic search be a major player in STLD space?
2. Recommending engines
3. Will a new industry of 'data providers' emerge, augmenting today's media companies and other content providers. Why or why not?   
4. What will users pay for, if the data is itself free?
5. Will STLD and GoodRelations revolutionize E-Commerce and intelligent shopping sites? What business models will make this possible?
6. Marketing and Advertizing - e.g. how can linked data be used as a marketing vehicle?
7. What industries and sectors are likely to be seeing a lot of successful STLD business models?
8. What industries and sectors are likely to be seeing relatively few successful STLD business models?


Specific Business Models
1. What are the most popular generic types of business model in STLD-based companies today and in the forseeable future?
1. Free with revenue from premium services (Freemium)
2. Free with advertising revenue
3. Razor & blades / Loss leader 
4. Software as a service
5. OEM / Licensing?
6. Consultancy?
7. Long tail
8. Other
2. What will be the balance between:
1. Success from focussing on narrow sectors.  vs.
2. Having a technology play that applies across multiple sectors.
3. Are there any types of business models that are likely to be particularly difficult to implement successfully?  Why?

Views: 33

▶ Reply to This

© 2012   Created by Alex Osterwalder.

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service