An Open Innovation Model for Business Innovation of Chinese Telecom Operators

Since the traditional innovation models based on the proprietary system and internal R&D are reaching their limits, the open innovation model has been developing steadily in recent years, especially in the ICT sector which is characterized by a strong segmentation of skill-sets among firms. Business drive has taken the place of engineering drive in telecom market, which indicates that business innovation is more important than ever before. This paper firstly studies open innovation and business drive from the view of open innovation, and then proposes an open innovation model suitable for the operators according to the situation of Chinese telecom market to guide their innovation activities. At last, it discusses user innovation and collaboration as major emphasis for Chinese operators.