雲端伺服器產業平台生態系中的競合策略 —以HPE GreenLake平台生態為例

The Coopetition Strategies in the Platform Ecosystem in Taiwanese Cloud Server Industry : A Case Study of HPE GreenLake Platform

李嘉俞(Lee Chia-Yu)

指導教授 ： 吳豐祥

國立政治大學/商學院/科技管理與智慧財產研究所/碩士(2022年)

https://doi.org/10.6814/NCCU202200468

摘要

2020年年初的新冠疫情引發的遠端辦公浪潮、5G技術應用趨於成熟、數位驅動世代來臨、亞洲企業數位轉型需求遽增，以及2021年「數位雲服務主題式研發補助計畫」之政策支持等，都對雲端產業蓬勃發展上產生了重大影響。
過往企業用戶選擇雲端服務會遇上兩大痛點。第一，企業用戶往往同時會擁有基礎設施即服務 (IaaS)、平台即服務 (PaaS)與軟體及服務(SaaS)等多元的需求，但雲端產業之廠商卻通常僅提供單一產品，使得企業客戶需自行處理繁雜的雲端架構與設施；第二，雲端基礎設施造價昂貴，使得企業用戶需在建置雲端基礎設施初期便承擔極高的資金壓力。為了滿足顧客的異質需求，近年來雲端廠商開始以整合IaaS、PaaS與SaaS的即服務 (as-a-service, 簡稱aaS)向企業用戶提供解決方案，並以訂閱而非以往的賣斷模式來進行販售。
不過，雲端業者若要能提供整合性的即服務解決方案，那麼其原先的單一服務模式(如：IaaS)尚須納入其他互補廠商，才能提供一站式的即服務，以讓用戶更進一步享受多方位的雲端服務 (包括：公有雲、虛擬主機、實體伺服器、企業內部管理軟體等)，若雲端業者要發展更完整的雲端產業價值鏈，那麼，他們便需要建立一個穩固的平台生態系統，也就是即服務平台生態圈，讓參與廠商可透過此平台來提供或享受服務。
由於雲端產業的疆界模糊，平台主和即服務中的參與廠商時常處於同時競爭與合作的互動關係，因此，會需要競合策略的思維。而且，因為此處競合的場域是平台，也需要平台策略的思考，不過，過往有關競合策略與行為的研究，大多僅聚焦於競合的層級、競合關係的種類與競合策略的類型等方面的探討，缺乏連結平台策略的相關研究；此外，過往的研究雖然有論及到生態系統內參與角色間的競合關係，但是卻甚少探討到平台生態系發展對於競合策略與行為的影響。另外，雲端產業中興起的「即服務」模式解決方案，為近三年才興起的，故相關領域的研究自然較為匱乏。
為了補足上述的研究缺口，本研究以我國雲端伺服器產業中首先推出「即服務」平台生態系之慧與科技公司 (Hewlett Packard Enterprise，簡稱HPE) 為深入研究的對象，並從平台生態系的平台主之視角切入，探討此雲端伺服器業者與現今平台生態系的參與廠商之競合行為，以及這些行為對其平台策略與生態系統發展的影響 (該公司為外商，本研究所論及的市場以台灣為主)。另外，本研究所探討的議題具有探索性之本質，故採單一個案研究法。本研究的資料來源同時包括初級與次級資料，前者主要是深入訪談個案公司的五位經理人，後者則參考自期刊、報章雜誌以及個案公司的內部資訊。
本研究最後得到的結論如下：
結論一、雲端伺服器平台生態系統之平台主在行使平台策略時，會傾向於以「推銷」的方式行使互補者策略；在行使平台覆蓋策略時，與核心業務有關的互補資源方面，會以「OEM授權」、「合作銷售」、「投資」(新創公司)與「併購」(技術成熟企業)等方式為主，而在非核心業務方面，則會採取「架設中介」的方式。

結論二、雲端伺服器產業之平台主在生態系統發展期間，於「誕生階段」與「擴展階段」時，會納入「價值鏈角色者」，以提升核心業務競爭力，同時，會與其形成「合作驅動競合」之關係；於「領導階段」時，則會納入和非核心業務相關的「支配者」(一種寄生者)，以提升即服務競爭優勢，同時，會與其形成「共性驅動競合」之關係。

結論三、雲端伺服器產業之平台主在「核心業務」的競合管理活動上，對以「OEM授權」方式的「價值鏈角色者」而言，會為了與其建立緊密的連結而形成「合作驅動競合」之關係，並對其投入分離、整合及「分離與整合」等三種競合管理活動；對以「合作銷售」方式的「價值鏈角色者」來說，則僅會投入整合活動。

結論四、雲端伺服器產業之平台主在「非核心業務」的競合管理活動上，對以「建立中介」方式的「寄生者」而言，會有較高的防備心，並會與其形成「共性驅動競合」之關係，進而投入「整合」與「分離與整合」活動。

結論五、雲端伺服器產業之平台主在發展平台生態系統時，在平台覆蓋策略上，會採取互補品覆蓋或弱替代覆蓋的策略，以達成平台創立初期鞏固核心業務與領導階段提升整體生態系競爭力的目標。
本研究最後提出對於實務與學術上的建議，並提出後續研究者可參考的研究方向。

關鍵字

雲端伺服器產業 ； 即服務 ； 平台 ； 平台策略 ； 互補者策略 ； 平台覆蓋策略 ； 競合策略 ； 平台生態系 ； 生態系統發展 ； 慧與科技

並列摘要

Cloud Computing Industry has flourished thanks to the advanced development of economics and policies in recent years. For instance, interest in working remotely has surged during the Covid-19 pandemic, the 5G has been commercially available, the digital-drive transformation trend in Asia has thrived, and the “Digital Cloud Service Subsidy Program (數位雲服務主題式研發補助計畫)” was announced in 2021. These factors have shaped the prestigious development of the Taiwanese Cloud Computing industry
Selecting the cloud service, most business clients possess multiple types of demand, such as Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Software as a Service (SaaS), which single cloud supplier is unable to fulfil at the same time. Additionally, business clients should initially invest great efforts to deploy the cloud infrastructure. To resolve these problems, a few amounts of cloud suppliers have contingently delivered “as-a-Service (aaS),” by combining IaaS, PaaS and SaaS to a solution in a subscription model, to lower business clients’ initial investment in cloud service and satisfy their heterogeneous needs. To deliver such aaS solution, existing cloud suppliers who have expertise in single service mode (i.e., IaaS) should engage other suppliers and construct the service portfolio, a solid platform ecosystem, to cluster different partners. Conversely, business clients could receive multiple services (public cloud, vertical server, dedicated server, business management software, etc.) at once.
It is arduous to clarify the frontier of aaS service for it contains multiple services in the form of cooperative and competitive relationships among the platform owner (who constructed the aaS ecosystem) as well as its partners, namely “Coopetition.”
As “coopetition” exists in a platform or business ecosystem, platform strategy and ecosystem development are highly related to coopetition. However, prior research on “Coopetition” has mainly focused on the “Cooptition Level”, “Cooptition Relationship” or “Cooptition Mode” as there has been relatively little research into the factor that brings up such outcomes. Moreover, aaS solution has prospered in recent three years while few investigations have been placed on this topic.
The researcher addresses this knowledge gap and extends previous research by investigating the case of a cloud server enterprise, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, which launched aaS model as a pioneer from the perspective of the platform owner. A qualitative research method was employed (Five interviewees were invited to engage) to assess the impact of platform strategy and ecosystem development on the “coopetition” among the Taiwanese enterprise server, the platform owner, as well as the participants in aaS platform ecosystem. The results demonstrate as following statements：
I. Deploying platform strategy to access complements, the platform owner of cloud server industry tended to enact “Complementors Strategy” by promoting the complements, employed “Platform Envelopment” with “OEM (original equipment manufacturer) authorization” and “Collaborated Cross-selling”, invested startup companies or integrate (through M&A) developed corporation, and build up intermediary for non-core business partners.
II. As developing the platform ecosystem, the platform owner of cloud server industry has firstly devoted to bringing "Value-chain Roles” into the ecosystem in the “Birth” stage to build up “Collaboration-driven co-opetition” and consolidate the core business. Afterwards, in the “Expand” stage, it built up “Commonality-driven Coopetition” with “Parasite” to be more competitive in aaS market.
III. To consolidate the core business, the platform owner of the cloud server industry brought in a “Value-chain Role” and became “Collaboration-driven Coopetition” with these partners. First, the platform owner has a closer relationship with “OEM Authorization” partners and executes “Separate,” “Integrate” and “Separate and Integrate” coopetition management activities. Second, the platform owner only inputs “Integration Activities” to those partners with “collaborated cross-selling”
IV. The platform owner of the cloud server industry was wary of the “Parasite” in its non-core business which it has “built up the intermediary” to construct “Commonality-driven Coopetition” relationship. Therefore, it inputted “Integration” as well as “Separation and Integration Activities.”
V. As constructing the platform ecosystem in the cloud server industry, the platform owner exerted “Complements Platform Envelopment” or “Weak Substitutes Platform Envelopment” to consolidate the core business in the “Birth” stage, and improved the competitiveness in aaS market in the “Expand” stage.
Finally, the researcher addresses suggestions and implications for further research and business practices.

並列關鍵字

Cloud computing industry ； As a Service mode ； Business platform ； Platform strategy ； Complementors strategy ； Platform envelopment ； Coopetition ； Platform ecosystem ； Ecosystem development ； Hewlett Packard Enterprise

參考文獻

一、英文文獻

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