Internet Pricing

With the development of the Internet from a research network to a commercial and integrated network which must satisfy heterogeneous user demand, prices for Internet usage play an important role. This study analyzes the pricing of Internet transport services and interconnection. It explains why appropriate pricing requires popular flat rates to be abandoned. They should be replaced by usage-based prices which are load-sensitive and take different service qualities into consideration. The aim of this work is to give an overview of Internet pricing proposals, to classify, investigate, and evaluate these pricing schemes as well as to elaborate on relations between them. Evaluations are based on normative criteria for Internet pricing from the point of view of social welfare and the perspectives of both Internet service providers and users. Moreover, this book shows what efficient settlement rules look like at the interconnection level. Since these interconnection pricing agreements are closely related to retail pricing models the compatibility between them is also analyzed.

This brief guides the reader through three basic Internet resource pricing models using an Internet cost analysis. Addressing the evolution of service types, it presents several corresponding mechanisms which can ensure pricing implementation and resource allocation. The authors discuss utility optimization of network pricing methods in economics and underline two classes of pricing methods including system optimization and entities' strategic optimization. The brief closes with two examples of the newly proposed pricing strategy helping to solve the profit distribution problem brought by P2P free-riding and improve the pricing efficiency with the introduction of the price discrimination. The Internet resource pricing strategy is not only the key factor of Internet resource allocation efficiency, but also the determinant of the profit. The methods and models discussed in Internet Resource Pricing Models increase the efficiency of existing pricing strategies to ensure a sound and sustainable development of the Internet. The brief will help researchers and professionals working with this key factor of Internet resource allocation.

As it grows in scope, bandwidth, and functionality, the Internet will require greater coordination, but it is not yet clear what kind of coordinating mechanisms will evolve. The essays in this volume clarify this issue and suggest possible models for governing the Internet.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 5th IEEE International Workshop on IP Operations and Management, IPOM 2005, held in Barcelona, Spain, in October 2005. The 21 revised full papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected for inclusion in the book. They are organized in topical sections on operations and management for VoIP, IMS and managed IP services, management of open interfaces, QoS and pricing in NGNs, autonomic communications, policy-based management, routing and topologies, routing and tools, as well as experiences from testbeds and trials.

This two-volume set on Mathematical Principles of the Internet provides a comprehensive overview of the mathematical principles of Internet engineering. The books do not aim to provide all of the mathematical foundations upon which the Internet is based. Instead, these cover only a partial panorama and the key principles. Volume 1 explores Internet engineering, while the supporting mathematics is covered in Volume 2. The chapters on mathematics complement those on the engineering episodes, and an effort has been made to make this work succinct, yet self-contained. Elements of information theory, algebraic coding theory, cryptography, Internet traffic, dynamics and control of Internet congestion, and queueing theory are discussed. In addition, stochastic networks, graph-theoretic algorithms, application of game theory to the Internet, Internet economics, data mining and knowledge discovery, and quantum computation, communication, and cryptography are also discussed. In order to study the structure and function of the Internet, only a basic knowledge of number theory, abstract algebra, matrices and determinants, graph theory, geometry, analysis, optimization theory, probability theory, and stochastic processes, is required. These mathematical disciplines are defined and developed in the books to the extent that is needed to develop and justify their application to Internet engineering.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 6th International Workshop on Internet Charging and QoS Technologies, ICQT 2009, held in Aachen, Germany, in May 2009 collocated with the IFIP Networking 2009 conference. The 9 revised full papers presented together with the extended abstract of a keynote paper were carefully reviewed and selected from a total of 26 submissions. The papers are organized in topical sections on competition models, pricing mechanisms, and economics of inter-domain traffic. Bringing together researchers from the area of technology and economy in both industry and academia to discuss key improvements and to support further progress in these fields, ICQT 2009 features combination of micro-economic models, auctions, game theoretic approaches, peer-to-peer, and IMS-based charging.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the First International Workshop on Internet and Network Economics, WINE 2005, held in Hong Kong, China in December 2005. The 108 revised full papers presented together with 2 invited talks were carefully reviewed and selected from 372 submissions. There are 31 papers in the main program and 77 papers presented in 16 special tracks covering the areas of internet and algorithmic economics, e-commerce protocols, security, collaboration, reputation and social networks, algorithmic mechanism, financial computing, auction algorithms, online algorithms, collective rationality, pricing policies, web mining strategies, network economics, coalition strategies, internet protocols, price sequence, and equilibrium.

With over 300 entries from hundreds of global experts, this is one of the premier marketing reference resources available worldwide. The 6-volume WIEM provides scholars and professionals with an international guide to marketing concepts and applications The far-reaching new developments, challenges and opportunities that have arisen in recent years are fully reflected in the entries Scholars and professionals will enjoy the flexible, multi-level structure, with entries ranging from topics summaries to short essays reviewing areas of development and debate Entries are further extended by sophisticated cross-referencing both among volumes and between encyclopedia entries and external sources The encyclopedia is also available online For ease of reference, the entries are arranged alphabetically within each of the subject volumes. Designed to encompass the scope of modern marketing, the volumes cover: Volume 1: Marketing Strategy Volume 2: Marketing Research Volume 3: Consumer Behavior Volume 4: Advertising and Integrated Communication Volume 5: Product Innovation and Management Volume 6: International Marketing