基于网络外部性的软件交易方式与兼容模式选择分析

当用户效用存在网络外部性时,对于永久授权和软件即服务两类交易方式,本文分别建立垄断软件供应商在新旧版本软件相互不兼容、向后兼容、向前兼容以及向后和向前兼容并存四种模式下的两阶段定价模型,分析各情景下用户购买决策和供应商定价策略.研究发现,永久授权交易方式下,向后和向前兼容并存模式最大化供应商收益,但是当考虑不同兼容模式的软件开发成本时,相互不兼容、向后兼容与向后和向前兼容并存模式都有可能最大化供应商利润;软件即服务交易方式下,兼容模式选择不影响供应商收益,相互不兼容模式最大化供应商利润;比较两类交易方式,供应商最大化收益时永久授权交易方式优于软件即服务交易方式,而供应商最大化利润时软件即服务交易方式一般优于永久授权交易方式.

Analysis of software licensing mode and compatibility choice with network externality

With network externality, two licensing modes——perpetual licensing mode and Software-as-a-Service mode, and four compatibility choices——no compatibility, backward compatibility, forward compatibility and backward & forward compatibility, are considered. Consumers' purchasing decision and the vendor's pricing strategy are examined through two-stage models under each combination of licensing mode and compatibility choice. The results show that backward & forward compatibility maximizes the vendor's revenue under perpetual licensing mode, and any of no compatibility, backward compatibility and backward & forward compatibility may maximize the vendor's profit with software development costs under different compatibility choices. Under Software-as-a-Service mode, the compatibility choice has no impact on the vendor's revenue, and no compatibility maximizes the vendor's profit. When revenue maximization is the vendor's concern, perpetual licensing mode is superior to Software-as-a-Service mode; when profit maximization is the vendor's objective, Software-as-a-Service mode usually becomes better than perpetual licensing mode.