User acceptance of mobile services: Value, ease of use, trust and ease of adoption: Dissertation

This dissertation studies user acceptance of mobile services based on a series of case studies of mobile Internet and location-aware information services targeted at consumers and accessed mainly by mobile phones. The studies were carried out in connection with technology research projects, where the objectives were to develop technical infrastructures, to pilot the technology in demonstrator services, and to collect user feedback in field studies to assist in focusing future commercial deployment of the technology. A Technology Acceptance Model for Mobile Services is proposed on the basis of the results of the case studies. According to the model, user acceptance is built on three factors: perceived value of the service, perceived ease of use, and trust. A fourth user acceptance factor: perceived ease of adoption is required to get the users from intention-to-use to actual usage. Based on the Technology Acceptance Model for Mobile Services, design implications for each user acceptance factor are proposed. Instead of implementing collections of useful features, the design of mobile services should be focused on key values provided to the user. The value of mobile services can be built on utility, communication or fun. Successful service content is comprehensive, topical and familiar, and it includes personal and user-generated content. The users appreciate seamless service entities rather than separate services. Ease of use requires a clear overview of the service entity, fluent navigation on a small display, and smooth user interaction with the service. The users should get personally and situationally relevant services and information without needing to expend effort on personalisation. The services should be designed to be adaptive to the wide variety of devices and networks. As the services increasingly support individual users in their daily tasks and the services are increasingly dealing with personal data, user trust in the services is becoming more and more important. The user should be able to assess whether (s)he can rely on the service in the intended contexts of use. The user needs to feel and really be in control, and the privacy of the user must be protected. Occasional usage and momentary usage sessions on the move are typical of mobile services. In addition, services are increasingly available only locally or in certain contexts of use. This indicates the need for disposable services: services that are easy to find, take into use, use and get rid of when no longer needed. The user needs realistic information about the actual values of the services, so that (s)he can realise how to utilise the service in his/her everyday life and to innovate new usage possibilities. Designing mobile services that will be accepted by users calls for changes also to the design methods. Value-centred design aims to identify the key targeted value(s) for end users, service providers and other stakeholders, and then focuses on these values in the design. The proposed Technology Acceptance Model for Mobile Services provides a tool to communicate key user acceptance factors and their implications to the design.