The importance of network economy for businesses

Abstract

This thesis is an exploratory research into the importance of network economy for technology businesses. The methods to evaluate the value of a network for the members of the network and for the businesses themselves are analyzed, and new methods are proposed. The theoretical approach is exemplified by a case study analyzing the importance of network economy for Opera Software. In the end, conclusions are drawn from the theoretical exploration and from the case study, proposing a framework which can be used by other businesses to better understand their network, to evaluate its value and to improve it even more.