The network effect drives business value. Arun Sundararajan, Professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business and expert on the network effect, explains: “A product displays positive network effects when more usage of the product by any user increases the product’s value for other users (and sometimes all users).” Put another way by Eric Jorgenson of Zaarly: “More [Uber] riders does not necessarily improve my Uber experience but it does attract more drivers, which will improve Uber for me.”
The network effect is not new. At the turn of the 20th century, telephones became more useful every time a new household added one. When more consumers join a network, it draws more suppliers to the network. The network’s offerings grow more robust and the demand continues to increase. The vaster and more diverse the network, the faster value grows for participants.
Leverage the power of the network effect.
CCC’s clients are benefitting from the network effect through use of our RightsLink Author solution, which manages article processing charges (APCs), submission fees, article, page and cover charges, member dues, and more. RightsLink Author is a sophisticated e-commerce and workflow platform that facilitates the collection, management, and reporting of charges. RightsLink Author currently supports over 30 publishers by automating fees and managing their increasingly complex transformative deals.
By using this platform, publishers join a network of publishers who are managing the transition from a subscription-based world to one that includes OA. Being a part of the network of publishers using the same platform to support OA businesses can be beneficial in many ways.
Provide the best user experience.
The network effect of dozens of publishers using one common platform offers the convenience and continuity of a superior shared user experience for the research community. Working in tandem with RightsLink Author’s APC Manager, the OA Agreement Manager allows publishers to streamline and automate OA funding requests. This module enables publishers, institutions, and funders to easily coordinate an author-centric experience.
The network effect also offers benefits to institutions. Institutions increasingly negotiate complex transformative deals with publishers, such as the so-called “Read and Publish” arrangements. CCC automates these deals through RightsLink Author and the OA Agreement Manager. For institutions, knowing they can negotiate and automate arrangements for publishers on the RightsLink Author platform is key. This, in turn, also benefits the publishers who can automate the process and maintain happy customers.
Another advantage of the network effect is in the OA “plumbing.” The RightsLink platform has infrastructure to enable API-based connectors throughout the publishing value chain. As the industry moves towards the author as the economic buyer, this infrastructure can be leveraged for all sorts of value-added services, such as reprints and promotional activities.
Stay up to date with changing requirements and the latest industry trends.
Publishing is in transition, thanks in part to the January 2020 deadline of Plan S. It can be difficult for publishers to keep up with the latest changes. Being a part of the RightsLink Author network provides confidence that you are aware of and supported on all new OA requirements.
RightsLink Author uses the voices of the customers and markets to continuously improve the platform and its capabilities, and the benefits of innovation are shared across the installed base of publishers. Publishers who use the platform benefit from not only having their voice heard, but also from the views of other publishers.
Are you interested in joining the RightsLink author network? Learn more about RightsLink Author here.