本研究依資訊商品的特性分析出六種免費資訊商品的經營模式,分別為:一、虛擬商品與實體商品結合的可能性。研究個案:蘋果(Apple)在iPod與iTunes結合的銷售模式。二、資訊商品可加值的可能性。研究個案:紅帽公司(Red Hat)以Linux為作業系統的電腦銷售。三、資訊商品可更新的可能性。研究個案:趨勢科技(Trend Micro)防毒軟體公司。四、資訊商品具備多次性交易的可能性。研究個案:全錄(Xerox)的影印機租賃服務。 五、資訊商品具有產業標準的可能性。研究個案:昇陽公司(Sun)的Java程式語言應用。六、廣告。Google的搜尋引擎服務。不同特性的資訊商品有不同的免費策略,經營者可以先視自己的產品特性為何,與上述六種資訊商品的屬性何者較為接近,依照符合的資訊商品特性以及研究個案的經營方式,做為參考的運作策略。 With the prevalence of the Internet, many concrete products can be obtained free from the web. As more and more products can be obtained free, more consumers are used to getting these products or services without paying. However, “providing free products” is obviously incompatible with the market logic in terms of the trading patterns. Facing this wave of providing free products, enterprises have to find a profitable model to adapt to this information society. Therefore, this study mainly focuses on the following issues: 1.When the core product is for free in the network environment, how can enterprises make profits? 2. What is the relationship between the characteristics of free information products provided by the manufacturer and the profitable model? In this thesis, the research method is Case-study with the operation modes of literature reviews and the secondary data analysis. Different types of enterprises from the information industry are selected and qualitative data analysis is adopted to explain the factors of providing free products.
This research analyzes six business models of free information product according to the characteristics of information goods: 1.the feasibility of combination of the virtual goods and real goods. Case Study: the sales model of Apple in combination of iPod and iTunes. 2. The feasibility of adding value of information goods. Case study: Red Hat in Linux-operating system computer sales. 3. The feasibility of updating information goods. Case Study: Trend Micro anti-virus software. 4. The feasibility of the one-time transaction of information goods Case Study: Xerox in the photocopier rental service. 5. The probability of the industry standard of the information goods. Case Study: Sun Microsystems Inc. in the applications of Java programming language. 6. The advertisement. Case Study: Google search engine. Different characteristics of information goods have different strategies for providing free products. Operators can decide the operation strategies according to the characteristics of their products along with the properties of information goods and the mode of operation of Case-study.