Definition of a business model for Third Party Service Providers in a converged fixed/mobile network scenario

The diffusion of Telco/IT Mashups, i.e., those service compositions that combine data sources and telecom services, seems to require the development of appropriate ecosystems in which small size companies, called ¿3^rd Parties¿, ideate, implement and deploy the Mashups and make them available to end users through Service Delivery Platform operated by platform operators. While from the technical point of view the ecosystems is based on a reference architecture and on appropriate technologies, from the business point of view the ecosystem must be based on appropriate business models. The traditional business models, in which 3^rd Parties develop services and applications over the Service Delivery Platform and are compensated by the Platform Operator is being integrated with new business models based on innovative roles and revenue sharing scheme between 3^rd Parties and Platform Operators. This paper discusses some of the most relevant issues related to 3^rd Party/Platform Operator business models.