Search

Purpose. The purpose of this article is to show the relationship between changes of industry business model on the supplier side and changes in business model on the client side, using the informat...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to show how the business model of the information and communications technology (ICT) industry has evolved and the general differences that evolution has made to information management. Design/methodology/approach Literature review was carried out accompanied by conceptual analysis. Findings It shows that changes in the business model of the ICT industry have been quite dramatic and have led to significant changes in the structure of the industry. Research limitations/implications This research is based on analysis of the ICT industry. The analysis could be broadened to include other industries. Research into business model change should consider adopting the evolutionary approach taken in this paper. Practical implications Managers in the ICT industry should factor the likely evolution of business models in their industry into their planning. Social implications Government policymakers considering how to stimulate the development of the ICT industry in their country should be aware of the moving nature of their target. Originality/value This is one of the first papers to apply the evolutionary approach to business model change.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explain how ecosystems and platforms have evolved to manage customer information and to identify the management, research and teaching implications of this evolution. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based on research and industrial experience of two of the co-authors in customer relationship management, further developed with other co-authors in the field of business models, the research and teaching experience of the university authors and cross-functional literature reviews in the areas of strategy, marketing, economics, organizational behaviour and information management. Findings This paper shows that digitalization, cloud computing and new information-based platforms are beginning to change how customer information is being managed, creating new opportunities for improving marketing, customer relationship management and business strategy. Research limitations/implications The impact of platforms on the management of customer information needs to be confirmed by primary empirical research. Practical implications This paper identifies the need for senior marketing management to examine closely how internal and external/public customer information platforms may enhance their capability for managing customers and setting new strategic directions. Social implications The emergence of giant multi-sided platforms has clear implications for data protection and privacy, which need to be explored more in research. Originality/value This paper highlights the move to customer information platforms and identifies how senior managers should consider them as an option for better customer information management and as a basis for new business strategies.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of analysts in providing information to support business model innovation. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based on initial research by two of the co-authors on business models (Stott et al., 2016), to which is added the experience of members of the team in working in strategic analyst firms or in working closely with clients of business analyst firms and further secondary data. Findings The findings of this paper show that analysts could do more to help their clients capture the opportunities and meet the threats of business model innovation, but this may require business leaders and analyst firms to think differently about their mutual relationship, particularly the briefs that clients provide analysts and how analysts aggregate information to provide a clearer picture of business model choices and their likely consequences. Research limitations/implications This paper needs confirmation of views by primary empirical research. Practical implications This study identifies the need for firms to brief their analysts to provide much enhanced information concerning business model opportunities and threats, and for teachers and researchers in marketing to become more closely acquainted with the business model literature and analyst reports and processes. Social implications As the idea of business model change becomes a more acceptable part of the strategic armoury of firms, the understanding of the information requirements to support such change to become more widely understood, and business model change to be consequently more common can be expected. This paper contributes to the understanding of the information requirements involved in such changes. Originality/value This study highlights the gap in the discussion of information provision to business leaders concerning business model innovation requirements and threats.

Purpose The purpose of this research is to identify how managers can apply the results of academic research into the concept of business models for creating and evaluating possible models for their businesses. Design/methodology/approach A review of the literature is followed by two case studies, from the airline and logistics industries, followed by recommendations based on both. Findings The findings are that there is relatively weak consensus among academics as to the definition and meaning of a business model and its components, and that the notion of generic business model applies better within rather than between industries, but that the discussion is a very fertile one for developing recommendations for managers. Practical implications The managerial implications of the study are that in their planning and strategizing, managers should factor in a proper analysis of the business model they currently use and one that they could use. Originality/value The study provides a useful addition to the literature on the practical implications of business models.

Regulatory B cells (Bregs) have been shown to play a critical role in immune homeostasis and in autoimmunity models. We have recently demonstrated that combined anti-TIM-1 and anti-CD45RB antibody treatment results in tolerance to full MHC mismatch islet allografts in mice, generating Bregs that are necessary for tolerance, and capable of transferring tolerance to untreated animals. Herein, we demonstrate that adoptively transferred Bregs require the presence of Tregs to establish tolerance, and that adoptive transfer of Bregs increases the number of Tregs. Bregs induce significantly more Foxp3 expression in CD4+CD25- T cells, in vivo, compared to naive B cells. We also show that Bregs express the TGF-β associated latency-associated peptide (LAP). Furthermore, Breg-mediated graft prolongation post-adoptive transfer is abrogated by neutralization of TGF-β activity. Collectively, these findings suggest that in this model of antibody-induced transplantation tolerance, Bregs promote graft survival by promoting Treg development, possibly via TGF-β production.

Backgrounds: The role of regulatory-B cells (Bregs) in transplant tolerance remains unclear. We found that the anti-CD45RB/anti-TIM1 induced tolerance depends on both Bregs and regulatory-T cells (Tregs). This finding offers a unique opportunity to explore the interplay of Bregs and Tregs in a transplant setting. Methods: Islet allograft were prepared from BALB/c donors and transplanted into B6. Recipients were treated with anti-CD45RB and anti-TIM1 antibodies for tolerance induction. Naive B cells or B cells isolated from mice that have been transplanted and treated in combination antibody therapy transferred into µMT-KO and assessed Treg expression by FACS. Anti-CD25 antibody, PC61, was used for Treg depletion. Anti-IL-10 or anti-TGF-β was used to neutralizing cytokine activity. Results: Treg numbers significantly increase following adoptive transfer of B cells purified from recipients bearing long-term surviving grafts (LTS). Moreover, adoptive transfer of LTS B cells suppressed allograft rejection upon transfer to untreated B cell-deficient secondary host, but this effect was not observed in Treg-deleted recipients. The absence of IL-10 by using anti-IL10 antibody did not affect on induction of long-term islet allograft by anti-CD45RB/anti-TIM1, however anti-TGF-β treatment abrogated the graft survival. Conclusions: B cell regulation induced by anti-CD45RB/anti-TIM1 is associated with Treg generation. This effect may be mediated by Treg promoting cytokines such as TGF-β.