시스템 상품에서 요소별 차별화 및 소비자별 사용방식의 차이를 고려한 언번들링의 경제적 효과 분석

Abstract

This study examines the economic effects of unbundling systems goods, which consist of basic service (i.e., telecommunications network service) and additional service (i.e., software). Previous studies in this field propose that unbundling systems goods enables users to mix and match, i.e., compose their ideal systems with components and leads to the increase in social welfare. This study differs from the previous ones mainly at two points: first, it is assumed that the degrees of differentiation of two components are different; second, the consumers are divided into two groups, 'novice users' and 'expert users', where the former consume only basic service and the latter both of basic service and additional service. By analyzing a game theoretic model, this study shows the following: first, unbundling increases the profits of the firms and social welfare by increasing the variety of systems goods and decreasing their prices; second, however, when the willingness to pay of consumers for systems goods is high, unbundling might decrease the profit of additional service firms and the welfare of novice users.