Open intermediary analysis in mobile data services: Shift from closed to open intermediary services

Constraints, diversity and evolution characterize mobile data services. These factors provide persistent challenges to the development of mobile data services. Recent challenges from Apple AppStore and Google Android also provide a new cornerstone for the construction of mobile ecosystems. Mobile data services continue to change their business models to cope with technological and business model evolution. Intermediary services play an important role in the emerging digital ecosystem to coordinate heterogeneous stakeholders in service development. The author discusses cases of closed intermediaries in mobile data services, which were the majority in the early stages. Then, the author discusses cases of open intermediaries in mobile data services, which are becoming increasingly visible in current mobile data services. The author presents the driving factors for closed intermediaries and those for open intermediaries. Then, the author discusses the factors that drive the shift from closed intermediaries to open intermediaries.