Title: Mapping future services: a case on emerging smart energy metering business

Authors: Mika Immonen, Mikko Pynnonen, Jarmo Partanen, Satu Viljainen

Addresses: Technology Business Research Center, Lappeenranta University of Technology, P.O. Box 20, FI-53851 Lappeenranta, Finland. ' Technology Business Research Center, Lappeenranta University of Technology, P.O. Box 20, FI-53851 Lappeenranta, Finland. ' LUT Energy, Department of Electrical Engineering, Lappeenranta University of Technology, P.O. Box 20, FI-53851 Lappeenranta, Finland. ' LUT Energy, Department of Electrical Engineering, Lappeenranta University of Technology, P.O. Box 20, FI-53851 Lappeenranta, Finland

Abstract: Recent regulatory amendments and other major trends in the electricity distribution business will change the business logics of the sector. The forces that drive restructuring can be put into three general categories. Those are: 1) a requirement for a more functional marketplace for energy; 2) combating climate change; 3) requirements for the security of energy supply. In this paper, we re-develop the business concept innovation process for applying it to smart energy metering services. Furthermore, we introduce how value flow based business system modelling can be linked with a market emergence model. The main argument of this paper is that including the customer needs in the innovation process and creating a business system based on value flows are the key elements of creating new business models in e-services. Indeed, bundling the roadmaps of intelligent home systems to correspond to converging customer needs is a crucial question for opening the service markets.

Keywords: service models; emerging businesses; business systems; value networks; energy distribution; energy efficiency; smart energy metering; industry dynamics; future services; regulation; electricity distribution; business logics; functional marketplaces; climate change; weather; security; market emergence models; customer needs; value flows; new business models; e-services; electronic services; roadmaps; intelligent home systems; convergence; open markets; environment; environmental impact.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBIR.2010.034383

International Journal of Business Innovation and Research, 2010 Vol.4 No.5, pp.491 - 514

Published online: 02 Aug 2010 *

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