ADOPTING IP TELEPHONY TECHNOLOGY: WHY WOULD CONSUMERS WANT IT?

Success in today’s global economy requires improvements in technology innovation and product adoption processes as new technologies are transformed into new products and services. It is not enough to simply introduce new innovations in the form of products and services. Companies must be able to manage existing products and services even as they innovate and create new ones. This research study evaluates the adoption of an innovative IP telephony service through a field study of consumer-level early-adopters at an east coast technology university. The study will refine the technology acceptance models by investigating the effect of moderating variables of technology type and perceived technology associated risks as well as perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use contribute to information technology research in several ways. This research will also study the acceptance and adoption of synchronous telephony communications media. Finally, results from this study should provide a general understanding of consumer perceptions of and needs for IP telephony leading to a predictive model of consumer-level technology adoption that can then be tested in the market place.