電視被稱為二十世紀最偉大的發明之一,在網際網路技術崛起之前,電視是大眾文化的散佈最主要的推手,更是資訊傳遞最重要的媒介。網際網路是上個世紀另一項改變人類生活樣貌的重大發明,其中寬頻網路的接取更是大勢所趨,當逐漸普及的寬頻網路遇上早已深入家戶的電視,出現了具備互動性、即時性的網路電視(IPTV)這樣新型態的電視概念,並且為數位匯流(Digital Convergence)潮流下的重大現象,網路電視就實體設備與商務模式的意義而言,都具備了成為數位匯流時代下的核心裝置與平台的潛力。 在2011年的當下,動見觀瞻並且是全球市值最高的科技公司:蘋果(Apple, Inc.),正是從IT產業起家(Macintosh),歷經1990年代的營運危機後以消費性電子產品iPod數位隨身聽東山再起,近年以iPhone行動電話、iPad平板電腦跨足行動裝置產業,並坐擁了線上數位內容商店平台iTune Store,而Apple TV這項網路電視機上盒產品顯然會是Apple接下來進入娛樂產業的關鍵一步。 有鑒於此,本論文從網路效應、鎖定效應等科技管理面向的學術理論出發,以Apple TV為個案研究對象,觀察網路電視此一數位匯流趨勢下的代表性現象,並如何受到雲端運算技術(Cloud Computing)的影響,從而以平台產業觀點,探索出未來具備龐大商業機會的網路電視產業經營策略。
Televsion (TV) is one of the greatest inventions in 20 century. Before the emerging of internet, television boosts the prevailing of popular culture and becoming an important media transferring information. Internet is another significant creation that changed people’s life deeply in last century. When broadband internet combining with television, it brings out the new concept about watching television interactively that is so called IPTV. It is also an impact from the trend of “Digital Convergence”. IPTV will be the core platform potientially both from the viewpoints of home digital device and business model. In 2011, Apple, Inc. leads in market cap among all technology company in the world, and becomes the unstoppable superstar in 3C industry. Apple rebounded from the decline in 90’s after the success of the most popular mp3 player in history- iPod. In recent years, Apple entered the mobile device market via iPhone and iPad, and owned a dominated online content market- iTunes Store. Apple TV will be a critical step to Apple when moving toward entainment industry. Accroding to the facts mentioned above, this thesis starts from the theories such as “Network Effect”and“Lock-in Effect”in management of technology field, trying to observe the trend of IPTV, and how it will be affected by cloud computing. Apple TV will be the case study objective in the thesis and conclude the platform strategy of IPTV industry.