Designing virtual social networks for for-profit open innovation

A major supplier of computer products would like the users of its software platforms to enhance the value of its software platforms by engaging in peer production and open innovation. The company is designing a social network that is based on Web 2.0 technologies and acts as a virtual user group. This paper discusses the most important issues pertaining to that endeavor including the need to develop new metrics for network structure and performance. The relative merits of various performance metrics is tested against empirical data. The paper also discusses an approach for forecasting revolutions in network performance in an open innovation system through simulation.