Abstract
This article provides the guideline for businesses and academics to understand the determinants of users' intention to use mobile information technologies in particular of innovation characteristics. As a result of the different features and innovation characteristics in each mobile context, the determinants of users' intention are different in various mobile contexts. Therefore, this article focuses on the innovation characteristics of mobile information technologies. In order to clearly understand the similarity and difference of innovation characteristics, this article compares and synthesizes the innovation characteristics in four mobile contexts (mobile banking, mobile commerce, mobile learning and mobile health). The outcome of article is guideline which proposes the core innovation characteristics of all mobile information technologies, the core innovation characteristics of each mobile context, and additional innovation characteristics of each mobile context.
TopBackground
Intention to use IT is important for the firms to implement new technology in businesses. A basic intention elaborates in terms of “How to increase users’ intention to use technology?” and “What are the determinants of users’ intention to use technology?” Intention to use mobile IT is defined as a person's perceived likelihood or individual probability that he or she will engage to use mobile IT in a given behavioral intention. Most studies trend to focus on the innovation characteristics as the determinants of intention to use mobile IT. In examining the determinants of intention, many previous academic studies have applied three famous theories and model as the following:
Key Terms in this Chapter
Mobile Health (M-Health): The mobile application which provides the health-related services using mobile communications and information technologies. M-health is used in a variety of health and wellness purposes among both patients and physicians; such as the monitoring diet and exercise, the controlling diabetes, the remote patient monitoring, video consultations, and personal emergency response system.
Determinants of Users’ Intention: The factors which impact on users’ intention to use mobile IT. This article focuses on the determinants of users’ intention in terms of innovation characteristics.
Users’ Intention: The degree of acceptance which users accept the mobile IT and intent to use it in the future or next time.
Mobile Information Technologies: The mobile applications which apply mobile technologies to provide information on mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets. This article focuses on four mobile ITs such as mobile banking, mobile commerce, mobile learning, and mobile health.
Mobile Learning (m-learning): The mobile application which provides any sort of learning on mobile devices. M-learning focuses on the mobility of the learner, interacting with mobile technologies, and learning society.
Mobile Commerce (m-commerce): A system which allow user to conduct any electronic transaction or information interaction using mobile devices and mobile networks. The m-commerce leads to transfer of real or perceived value in exchange for information, services or goods. Today, m-commerce is adopted in many contexts such as mobile purchasing movie tickets, mobile airline tickets, mobile hotel booing and reservation, mobile auction, and mobile rent car services.
Innovation Characteristics: The features and characteristics of mobile IT which users desire to perceive on mobile IT. The perception of innovation characteristics will influence on users’ intention to use mobile IT.
Mobile Banking (M-Banking): A system that allows customers to conduct the financial transactions through mobile devices, such as monitoring account balance, transferring funds between accounts, and bill payment. In this article, m-banking covers on the mobile payment, mobile finance, and mobile Internet banking.