Special Issue on Ubiquitous Media Systems: Guest Editors' Introduction

Abstract

Introduction to the Special IssueAs of 2014, the total number of all types of mobile-connected devices has exceeded the world's population and is forecasted to reach 1.5 devices per human being in 2019 [5]. The pace of the emergence and mainstream adoption of new forms of ubiquitous computing devices such as smartphones, tablets and 'phablets' has not ceased gaining momentum - demarking an evolutionary step in the ubiquitous computing trend [13]. The extinction of mobile phones and the proliferation of fluid multi-device platforms such as iOS, Android and Windows 10 have blurred the traditional boundaries between stationary and mobile information systems [4], [18].This dissolution of the traditional segmentation of computing contexts represents a remarkable shift in the fundamental temporospatial nature of IT artifacts [10], [16]. Indeed, individuals are gradually ceasing to perceive their mobile and non-mobile devices as independent ecosystems, but rather as an evolving collection of interconnected devices that are progressively playing a major role in their daily lives [15], [17]. This significant technological evolution has given birth to a new and complex form of connected IT artifact, Ubiquitous Media Systems (UMS), that encapsulates various functions and provides fluid information access across a variety of channels; allowing users to accomplish a multitude of tasks and interact fluidly in a ubiquitous ecosystem [4].As information access becomes fully ubiquitous and the utilitarian, as well as hedonic functionalities of those devices increase, the emergence of fluid and evolving techno-ecosystems poses important challenges and opportunities for ecommerce theory and practice. By gradually blurring physical, social and temporal boundaries ubiquitous media systems allow to deliver new as well as existing online products and services through a multitude of interconnected channels, but also engender radically novel and unthought-of opportunities for e-commerce [9], [11], [12].Ubiquitous access to the Internet of things also represents new marketing opportunities for businesses as well as the challenge to deeply understand users' behavior in this fluid digital ecosystem [6]. Apprehending ubiquitous media systems user behavior is a difficult challenge as the rules that govern its functioning keep being redefined each time a new form of connected device appears on the market [3], [14].Unfortunately, the understanding of the specificities that surround ubiquitous media systems in the electronic and mobile commerce contexts is also limited in information systems research [7], [8]. There is a general tendency to focus on individual or subsets of devices, functionalities, or sub-phenomena, which leads to a fragmented and distorted understanding of the ubiquitous media systems reality [1], [2]. This new, complex, interconnected and amalgamated form of IT artifact requires a more holistic and encompassing research approach that is capable of capturing the specificities and pervasiveness of ubiquitous media systems.The objective of this issue is to start exploring in a more holistic perspective, the challenges and opportunities regarding ubiquitous media systems. The five papers selected for this special issue are original contributions that could be classified in two main groups. While the first three papers discuss design issues in developing digital platforms for delivering ubiquitous services, the remaining two articles analyze and discuss case studies related to digital payments.Eriksson, Âkesson and Lund present a two-year action research study that focuses on the changes fostered by digitalization in the Swedish newspaper industry. The concept of Ubiquitous Media Environments (UME) is used to represent the vision of future media environments enabling device independent mass-scale distribution of ubiquitous media services in integrated infrastructures. Five applications of ubiquitous media services were developed and evaluated in collaboration with practitioners. …