Title: How can software support open innovation? Extending community and marketplace perspectives

Authors: Stefan Hrastinski; Mats Edenius; Niklas Z. Kviselius; Håkan Ozan

Addresses: Uppsala University, Department of Informatics and Media, P.O. Box 513, SE-751 20, Uppsala, Sweden; KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Department of Media Technology, School of Computer Science and Communication, Lindstedtsv. 3, SE-100 44, Stockholm, Sweden. ' Uppsala University, Department of Informatics and Media, P.O. Box 513, SE-751 20, Uppsala, Sweden. ' Stockholm School of Economics,, Center for Information and Communication Research, P.O. Box 6501, SE-113 83 Stockholm, Sweden; Uppsala University, Department of Informatics and Media, P.O. Box 513, SE-751 20, Uppsala, Sweden. ' CSC, P.O. Box 3052, SE-169 03, Solna, Sweden

Abstract: Fuelled by increased interest among organisations to team up with customers and partners, software for supporting open innovation is emerging. In this paper, we explore how current open innovation software are designed, by whom they are used and reflect on their potential to support open innovation processes. We classified a sample of 51 systems and found, based on a correlation analysis, that most open innovation software focus on supporting online communities of innovation and some software support online marketplaces of innovation. A vast majority of open innovation software focuses on the front end of open innovation through an emphasis on the collection of ideas or problem solutions requested by authorities in technology industries. In the end of the paper, we suggest key questions that need to be addressed in order to design the next wave of open innovation software.

Keywords: open innovation; computer software; online communities; online marketplaces; virtual communities; web based communities; e-communities; electronic communities; community perspectives; marketplace perspectives; customers; partners; correlation analysis; front end; ideas; problems; solutions; technology industries; networks; virtual organisations; web based organisations; online organisations; networking; world wide web; internet.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNVO.2012.045208

International Journal of Networking and Virtual Organisations, 2012 Vol.10 No.1, pp.1 - 17

Published online: 16 Aug 2014 *

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