Technology Management of Capital Assets and Risks in the Service Sharing Economy: Cases of Uberization of Crowdfunding and Transportation in Mexico

Firms such as AirBnB, Uber, Blablacar have platforms for connecting owners of underused assets with clients through, the internet, thus allowing people to rent out their spare rooms, or book relay rides by acting as matchmakers, allocating resources where they are needed and charging a percentage of the cost in return. This phenomenon could be regarded from the point of view of: 1) Internet technology evolution from a network of computers to a network of people devoted to sharing their knowledge and user experience, coming further, as the Internet of Things (IoT), and 2) as part of the increasing involvement of he user (consumer/client) in production and innovation processes. These approaches allow us to analyze service-user Platform firms according to the different kinds of specific assets distribution and risks. The new organization is based on internet platform tools which integrate information, machinery, energy, and science, and costumer collaboration. We conclude that there are large profits for those firms based on platforms, as there are not yet any counterbalances through competition, posing the question about the needed or not of technology management regulation during this phase of service sharing economy. A selection of 17 service platform firms in Mexico involved in transportation and crowd funding are described on the basis of their business model, the market and the distribution of assets and income.