Participation in Renardus business issues

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Participation in Renardus - business issues

• Michael DayUKOLN

Renardus Workshop, Lyngby, 16 November 2001
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Outline

• Business models
• Towards a business model for Renardus
• Costs and cost elements
• Sustainability issues

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Business models (2)

• Business models are
• A means of building long-term sustainability
• Should cover, e.g.
• costs
• potential funding
• risk management
• Strongly linked to organisational model

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Business models (2)

• Very little published about business models for
  digital library services
• Existing literature focuses on e-commerce
  applications, e.g.
• mail order, advertising, subscription, free
  trial, direct marketing, incentive schemes,
  business to business
• A recent CLIR report mostly covers services with
  digital content, e.g. JSTOR or HighWire Press

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Business models (3)

• Commercial models
• Advertising (used by Web search services)
• Subscription or license
• pay per use
• Fee-paying membership (e.g., consortia)
• Project-based funding (e.g. for RD)
• Sponsorship

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A model for Renardus (1)

• To support the organisational model outlined
  previously
• Central Renardus organisation
• Management
• Service Provision and Maintenance
• PR
• Service providers (gateways)

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A model for Renardus (2)

• Current status of business model
• Still under development
• Consortium-based organisation
• Look for realistic options for the continued
  funding of Renardus
• Sponsorship (or partnerships)
• Advertising
• Providing niche services for third parties
• Project funding (e.g. for continued RD)
• Any others ... ?

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Costs (1)

• Little known about exact costs
• Cost elements will include
• Administration
• Strategic development
• Licensing and rights management (e.g. for the use
  of software, subject schemes, etc.)
• Technical maintenance
• Publicity and outreach
• Support for service providers and end-users

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Costs (2)

• Service providers will also have costs, e.g.
• Application procedure
• Setting up and maintaining a Renardus Z-server,
  e.g.
• conforming to data model
• periodic normalisation
• software upgrades
• ...
• Mapping DDC to own classification scheme

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Costs (3)

• On payment of an fee, Renardus could possibly
  undertake some tasks on behalf of service
  providers, e.g.
• Setting up and running a Renardus server
• Providing classification mappings
• Providing a generic gateway toolkit that would
  include Renardus compatibility

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Sustainability?

• Sustainability
• A lot still needs to be worked out in more
  detail, e.g.
• costs, identifying possible funding streams,
  distribution of income, etc.
• Identify key tasks of Renardus organisation and
  service providers in taking this forward
• Scalability
• e.g., the maximum or minimum number of service
  providers needed for viability

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Contact

• Michael Day
• UKOLN
• University of Bath
• Bath BA2 7AY
• United Kingdom
• m.day_at_ukoln.ac.uk
• http//www.ukoln.ac.uk/