Sunday, September 03, 2006

Post 2

Post 2: Please choose an innovation that you are familiar with and rate it according to each of the five innovation attributes discussed by Rogers. How do these attributes affect the adoption rate in this particular case? Are there any other attributes that one may need to consider?

4 comments:

Ko-Jung said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Av DG said...

I chose the innovation short messaging service (SMS), also known as text messaging. As I said, my country has 7107 islands that span an area of 1,840 km from north to south. This geography, plus the country's determination to leapfrog to new telecommunications technology without laying miles of cable, makes wireless solutions ideal for a population that is close to 80 million.(http://www.andrew.com/ACCESS/0401/articles/mobilemanila.aspx)

The Philippines has also been called the text messaging capital of the world when Smart Communications, one of the two giant mobile phone networks in the country, claimed that the volume of text messages passing through its network reached 240 million daily as of 2001.(http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=52709)

I believe that the five attributes of innovation worked synergistically to make this particular communication technology diffuse so etensively and rapidly in my country.

Relative advantage
The main advantage of text messaging to the usual use of a cellular phone for calling is cost. In my country, it is cheaper to text ($0.02 per message) than to call ($0.18 per minute). The difference may not be so great but in a developing country like mine, mobile phones that have prepaid service are cheaper and more easily available than wired phones. "Texting" offers a mode of communication that is within reach of almost everyone. Text messaging is also faster and more efficient than letters and telegrams, which it replaced.

Compatibility
Text messaging is culturally compatible with Filipino values. Filipinos are known to be very social and friendly and this made the technology immediately fashionable. Many of us are also not as direct and forthright as other cultures and it makes it easier for Fiipinos to say what they feel without necessarily talking about it up front. Filipinos are also a deeply religious people, many are finding text messaging a simple and easy way of sending short, spiritually inspiring messages to relatives and friends. A lot of idle time is also wasted in the terrible traffic of the major cities. During these waiting hours, the mobile phone is used extensively to keep one occupied and in touch.

Complexity
Text messaging is very popular (for all ages even) because of its simplicity. Filipinos love Nokia models, by far the most popular phones, because of their user-friendly interface and soft, text-friendly, ergonomic keypads.

Trialability
One can try the text messaging service by using any digital cellular phone; some go for as low as $25. Also, one can see trialability at work since majority of the subscribers use prepaid cards, which one can refill for as low as $2 (PhP100). This has also led to companies making it more and more easy to reload credit onto the card. Electronic load (E-load), which one can buy from any small store on most street corners can go as low as $0.60.

Observability
I think that the statistics outlined above make texting as a pervasive technology clear enough. In the Philippines, the use of text messaging has taken off to such an extent that it has made it into the Guinness Book of Records. An astounding 18 million messages are being recorded every day, and a new phrase has emerged: “TEXT ME”. (http://www.andrew.com/ACCESS/0401/articles/mobilemanila.aspx)

Ko-Jung said...

In the trend of innovation adoption, the most interest me is the adoption of the IM (Instant Messenger) software. The basic and simple definition of IM software is that people can communication instantly with words, sound, image and files with their friends, family, colleagues and even customers through internet and they all have to install the IM software between two ends of the communicator. The statistics indicates that the top ranking of IM software in the world is the AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) having 56% market share. The IM of Microsoft Network (MSN) and The IM of Yahoo (Yahoo Messenger) are ranked the second 25% market share and the third 19% market share. In my country, Taiwan, the MSN have the most market share and the next is Yahoo messenger and Skype, which is communication software mainly with microphone through internet and regarded as different communication software different from IM by some people.
The emergence of the IM (Instant Messenger) is start from the ICQ software invented by four Israel young men in 1996 and the purpose of the ICQ is originally for military use. The rate of adoption is so fast because this new concept reverses the traditional thought that the functions of internet is for searching, surfing, and e-mail. Until now, there are over 150 million ICQ users in the world. However, the emergence of MSN Messenger in 1999 weakens the rate of adoption of ICQ, not only because they integrate different service but also they provide more personal characteristic.
In this background, therefore, the this article is mainly focus on the innovation of Microsoft Network Messenger (MSN) and explain the rate of innovation of adoption of MSN.

Attributes of Innovation
1. Relative Advantage
As far as I’m concerned, the main characteristics and benefits of the MSN can be summarized for several points: (1) talk instantly through words, microphone, and web camera, (2) send documents, files, pictures, and videos, (3) faster than e-mail, (4) maintain secrecy on internet, (5) share thought and picture with blog, (6) search specific topic and idea, (7) use internationally, (8) custom-made to express yourself. Some of the benefits are unique for MSN, and some of them are integrate from previous characteristics of internet.
(1)Economic Factor
Because the communication of the MSN is trough internet, it cost nothing when one uses MSN to talk with one or more people in the same time. Moreover, an survey of American research institution indicates that about 38% of employees in corporations use MSN for commercial purpose because MSN reduces gratefully in expense of telecommunication and increase the efficiency contacting with customers. Using the IM (Instant Messenger) makes corporations become Instant Enterprise.
(2)Status Aspects
The MSN is broadly adopted by teenage is because the reason of status aspect or peer effect. Teenagers are easily affected by peer group when the peer group adopt one innovation. They can discuss the popular culture and find an identity through MSN. On the other hand, adoption of MSN may becomes a kind of fashion among the teenagers.
(3)Overadoption
However, the adoption of MSN also causes some negative effects. In the corporations, more and more employers inhibit their employee use MSN when in the office, because MSN also diverge the employee’s attentions and increase the cost of management. There are another problem that there are many hacker and sender of trash mail use the MSN to spread the virus and trash mails.

2. Compatibility
The MSN integrate various functions and make compatible to different country and technology. Unlike other IM software, for example, MSN don’t require users to install different versions of user’s country. That’s mean that everyone in the world can use the same version of MSN without encountering ant technology problem which always seem as a obstruct for innovation of adoption. Users are no limited by technology causes when they have different conditions.
(1) Compatibility with previously introduced idea
The reason that MSN adopted by so many people is that adopters have already recognized the innovation of ICQ. After adoption of ICQ, MSN combined the basic function of instant messenger with the computer functions like searching, mail which make people familiar with this new innovation. Therefore, it is possible that people previously use ICQ may use MSN latter more quick or comfortable.
(2)Compatibility with needs
There is one new function that makes people leave message when the other didn’t on-line, that is off-line message. This off-line message fit the need when you want find someone who is not on-line status, although this function is slower than instant messenger but faster than e-mail.
(3) Technology Clusters
The distinct technology of clusters is that MSN combine instant messenger with video telecommunication. People can utilize these different functions in one software and they don’t have to install specific software for specific use. This reason also promote the rate of adoption.
(4)Naming an Innovation
The name of innovation affect obviously on ICQ rather than MSN. The name of ICQ means “I seek you” which is easily for people to understand the central idea of the ICQ seeking someone you don’t know and talk them on-line. However, the MSN is original mean “Microsoft Network” rather than “ Microsoft Network Messenger.” Ironically, The name of MSN has bee wrongly use by people but this doesn’t reduce the rate of adoption.

3. Complexity
The concept of MSN is mainly adopted by new generations who familiar with the new technology such as computer, the adoption of MSN for older people who don’t familiar with the new technology will relative slow.
4. Trialability
The software of MSN is very easy for people to install and to uninstall. People can try MSN without any limitation and cost in any circumstance and any time.
5. Observability
People also can observe the benefits of MSN through others’ computer in different situation. For instant, people use MSN in an office of corporation can be observed by others, which would accelerate the rate of adoption.

Daniela Dimitrova said...

Posted for Cathy (Susu)

I select the birth of MP3 player as my analyzing subject. It is the innovation of electric music player. MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a popular digital audio encoding and lossy compression format, designed to greatly reduce the amount of data required to represent audio, yet still sound like a faithful reproduction of the original uncompressed audio to most listeners. It was invented by a team of European engineers who worked in the framework of the digital radio research program, and it became an ISO/IEC standard in 1991.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MP3)

About 10 years ago, young people who are fond of music all wanna own a CD player which can bring them music at any time they want. It was very popular because people can take the portable, small music equipement with them to enjoy the music anywhere. After 10 years , because of the high technology's development, the tiny fashinon music player MP3 comes out. Nowadays,more and more kinds of MP3 come to compete in the market. The five attributes affect the innovation of this portable music equipment.

1. Relative advantage,
Compared with the old CD player, it has more advantages, it has much smaller size which can make it much more convenient to be taken with, it has more space to save the songs, and it can collect even hundreds of songs at one time in a short time and does not need any CD disks to insert into. Especially, people can download the music from internet which can save a lot of money. And it also can include the function of radio and recording. Moreover, such as i-pod, it can even show the images or the short video with the music.

2. Compatibility,
MP3 has the same or even better sound quality with CD player.And people who are fond of music will like the MP3 format because it can bring the same music as CD player, sometimes, it even can be changed with the modes of sound to imitate and recall the real band occasion. Meanwhile, we have to notice that the different personalities could have effects on the compatibility. For example,several people just prefer the pattern of CD player, they like the way of collecting CDs of different albumns. Also, it depends on different countries' government's policies.Maybe in some countries downloading the music resource from the internet is free or very cheap, but in some countries, it is very expensive even more expensive than purchasing the CDs, or even sometimes it is not illegal to download some music from the internet. In addition, usually, the music people can find on internet are not very up- dating but very old. They can just find the newest albumn in the music store, CD shelf.

3. Complexity, Also, since the use of computer and internet is spreading day by day,it is easy to learn how to use the MP3 and downloading the resource from the internet. But maybe not easy for people who are not familiar with computer or who refuse to accept new technology. And the little MP3 could have so many different functions for listening to the music. It also takes time to become familiar with it.

4. Trialability
The stores could have a lot of methods to promote their new MP3, they provide the samples for people to try them. They make the advertisments by using popular superstar who use it as early adopter. After the experiments and trying, people find it is really convenient to use MP3 instead of CD player. And they wanna copy the examples of those celebrities who are considered "very cool" to use MP3.

5. Observability
When people feel not certain about the new product MP3, they do not wanna accept it too soon. They could get used to the CD player, even they can have a strong affection of the old thing. So they want to stand by to oberserve. They can hear the information from a lot of channels, such as mass media and the people who have already used the MP3. And they might get some information from internet. When they see the results anf effects after people use the new product. They just begin to think about if they accept the new product.Is it safe or high quality?They want collect enough information about one brand of MP3.Then make the decision of purchasing it.

Furthermore, as for the other attributes, as what I mentioned above in (2) compatibility and (5)observability. I think the culture difference, people's personalities and traditional notions and different governments' administrative policies are all the important attributes for the innovations.

Cathy(Susu)