After researching the current literature I found no universally accepted method of classifying Internet business models. It was also noted that classification frameworks were out of date and did not accommodate newer business models.
Therefore I developed a new classification with the following criteria:
- It needed to accommodate new businesses such as Facebook and cloud services. Many of the classifications were written before these innovations were developed.
- It should flexible enough to accommodate emerging business models in the fast moving Internet sector.
In the end I decided to combine and extend Laudon & Traver (2008) with Wirtz et al. (2010) because these were the most up-to-date classifications found.
New Internet business model classifications
The first table shows the new classification that I created with corresponding category traits and common revenue models.
Classification rationale
The second figure shows how the categories were combined or renamed. Two additional categories, infrastructure and software, were added as they were not listed in the classifications.
