With the rapid development of technologies such as information and communication technology (ICT) and the accompanying major social changes, it has become increasingly difficult for companies to offer highly satisfactory customer services of their own in current society where customer needs are very widely diversified. Under such circumstances, by alliances among different companies, it is important to combine individual specialties organically and create new value constantly. On the other hand, the dramatic development of ICT enables companies and customers co-create new values using social network service as common practice. In this chapter, the alliance strategy of Japan Railway East which has developed vertically integrated business model in railway business and its advantages is described. In addition, autonomous decentralized technology and assurance technology as system technologies supporting these business alliances are also described.

Chapter Contents:

• Abstract
• 15.1 Introduction
• 15.2 Characteristics of JR East
• 15.2.1 Outline of JR East
• 15.2.2 The quantity changing the quality and the essence
• 15.3 Railway infrastructure business and technology concept model
• 15.3.1 Essence of JR East
• 15.3.2 What is 'infrastructure'?
• 15.3.3 What is 'service'?
• 15.3.4 MTOMI model
• 15.3.5 Advantage of MTOMI model
• 15.3.6 The MTOMI model from the viewpoint of computer and communication system
• 15.4 Alliances based on MTOMI model
• 15.4.1 Requirements for good alliance (What is alliance?)
• 15.4.2 Classification of alliance (three models of alliance)
• 15.4.2.1 Inside a company (Inside B model)
• 15.4.2.2 Company and company (B2B model)
• 15.4.2.3 B2C model
• 15.5 Three types of business alliance based upon MTOMI model
• 15.5.1 ATOS (Inside Business; InB model)
• 15.5.2 Suica ('Super Urban Intelligent CArd')
• 15.5.3 JR East Train Info App
• 15.6 Future business mode
• 15.6.1 Innovation concepts of public transportation
• 15.6.1.1 Concept
• 15.6.1.2 Proposal
• 15.6.1.3 Future visions about PT
• 15.6.2 Information business
• 15.6.3 Global business
• 15.7 Conclusion
• References

Inspec keywords: customer satisfaction; social networking (online); business data processing; customer services; railways

Other keywords: railway infrastructure technology; railway infrastructure management; alliance based concept model; information and communication technology; social network service; customer services; autonomous decentralized technology; assurance technology; business sustainability; customer needs; business alliances; business model; ICT; Japan Railway East; wertically integrated business model; railway business

Subjects: Computing in other engineering fields; Information networks; Marketing computing