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Future Chances of Software Customization: An Empirical Evaluation

Authors:
Michaela Weiss
Norbert Heidenbluth

Keywords: customization; adaptability; tailoring; user study; human-computer interaction

Abstract:
Customization is an important market trend because companies can only survive when they focus on their customers' needs. In order to offer demand-driven customization options, it is necessary to empirically analyze the benefit of the various adaptations from a customer's point of view. In the software sector, only a few surveys have been conducted that exceed technical aspects. Moreover, existing studies are limited to the overall acceptance and benefits of customization, but draw no conclusions on different adaptation options. Thus, we present a large study that analyzes the starting points of software customization and deals with general questions of customization. The results indicate that software customization increases the willingness to pay (WTP) by about 15%. The survey points out that especially customization options, which adapt the functionality, increase the usability, and enable parental controls are of great importance for future software implementation. Hence, our results enable competitive advantages by implementing customization options that meet customer needs.

Pages: 479 to 485

Copyright: Copyright (c) IARIA, 2012

Publication date: November 18, 2012

Published in: conference

ISSN: 2308-4235

ISBN: 978-1-61208-230-1

Location: Lisbon, Portugal

Dates: from November 18, 2012 to November 23, 2012