دانلود رایگان مقاله استاندارد سازی بازی تغییر استراتژی زمینه تکنولوژی هوشمند

abstract

Struggles over technology standards are typically reported for competing technology providers. Technology users often play not much of a role in standard development. This paper presents findings from the emerging innovation system of smart meter communication, in which large technology users act as standard developers. This phenomenon is relatively rare, as users often lack the resources and competences to actively engage in standard development. Over a period of 14 years (2000–2013), we track how different standards emerged and changed, why and how users became standard sponsors, and what impact this had on the field. Our analysis is based on variety of data sources, including participatory observation and expert interviews. After an initial period, in which only proprietary standards were available, two large users started to develop open standards together with alliance partners and standard development organizations. Consequently, sponsors of proprietary standards change their strategies, also toward open, alliance-based standards. A central condition for this shift in standardization was that the two users controlled large shares of the market. Our research points to the conditions for user involvement in standardization, thereby contrasting three different settings for standard development. We interpret the case as an example for the larger issue of institutional structures in technological innovation systems developing over time in a patchwork-like way, thereby shaping and changing the conditions for strategic action.

6. Discussion

Our case has generated insights about the formation and change of institutional structures (here: technology standards) of a technological innovation system in its early years of development. At first (before 2007) standardization strategies were similar, then there was a variety of very different kinds of strategies (2007–2010), followed by a period (from 2010 onwards), in which standardization strategies became similar again. This latest shift can be interpreted as a ‘meta-level’ institutionalization of the technological innovation system: As markets grew, more and more actors entered the field and interactions intensified. Technology providers, complementors, SDOs, users and governments from different countries all became involved in technology development, including the formulation of standards. Increasing interaction, pursuit of different, even conflicting strategic interests and strong commitment of large users then contributed to the formation of system-wide institutional pressure: to develop alliance-based open standards with SDO involvement. Eventually, this may result in the emergence of a common, international standard for smart meter technology.