Abstract

After increased investment in the third generation mobile telecommunication network the mobile services market is in a critical phase. Market players must now identify, develop, and position innovative, revenue-producing mobile services before their competitors reach the market. Therefore they need an efficient and reliable evaluation process for determining the optimal time, manner, placement, or even withdrawal of services in the market. We introduce a model that facilitates the analysis of mobile services before and during the service development process. Moreover, the model can be used for scrutinizing already developed but not successful positioned services. The results of these analyses are used to formulate a set of actions necessary to successfully establish the service. The primary benefit of using such a model is that it compels decision makers to consider all aspects of a new service and to identify problems before the company has committed significant resources to the service’s development. Our approach also shows the decision maker variables and risks associated with a mobile service and offers detailed recommendations for improving the chances of a service’s success. The theoretical model described in this paper has been implemented and used to evaluate the potential market success of a leisure planning service for large cities.