• Phone: 617-358-3571
  • E-Mail:  mva@bu.edu
  • Website: http://ssrn.com/author=253298
  • Office: 649
    • Office Hours: By Appointment
  • Address: Boston University School of Management
    595 Commonwealth Avenue
    Boston, MA 02215

Profile Summary

Professor Van Alstyne is one of the leading experts in network business models. He conducts research on information economics, covering such topics as communications markets, the economics of networks, intellectual property, social effects of technology, and productivity effects of information. As co-developer of the concept of “two sided networks” he has been a major contributor to the theory of network effects, a set of ideas now taught in more than 50 business schools worldwide.



Awards include two patents, National Science Foundation IOC, SGER, SBIR, iCorp and Career Awards, and six best paper awards. Articles or commentary have appeared in Science, Nature, Management Science, Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal.

  • Education Open or Close

    Ph D, MIT Sloan School, Information Systems, 1997.

    MS, MIT Sloan School, Management, 1991.

    BA, Yale University, Computer Science, 1984.

  • Current CoursesOpen or Close

    GSM DS999 C1 Dissertation

    GSM IS827 F1 Platforms and Information Markets

    GSM IS912 A1 Information Economics

  • PublicationsOpen or Close

    Journal Articles:

      Aral, S., Brynlofsson, E., Van Alstyne, M., (2012). Information, Technology & Information Worker Productivity. Information Systems Research, 23(Sept.), 849-867.

  • Contracts, Grants and Sponsored ResearchOpen or Close

    Information Tracking & Tracing as a Stimulus to Innovation - SBIR Phase I, National Science Foundation. (January 1, 2013 - June 30, 2014).

    Information Tracking & Tracing as a Stimulus to Innovation - SBIR Phase I, National Science Foundation. (June 20, 2012 - June 20, 2012).

    Knowledge Markets, National Science Foundation. (March 1, 2012 - December 31, 2012).

  • Research PresentationsOpen or Close

    Invited Lectures:

      Van Alstyne, M., (Presenter & Author), Postal Vision 2020, A Digital Postal Platform, Postal Vision 2020, Washington, DC. (February 25, 2013).

      Shen, D., (Presenter and Author), Van Alstyne, M., (Author Only), Lippman, A., (Author Only), Hind, B., (Author Only), Workshop on Information in Networks, Design of Currency, Markets, and Economy for Knowledge, NYU, New York. (September 29, 2012).

      Van Alstyne, M., (Presenter and Author), Dean's Research Roundtable, Platform Ecosystem Strategy, UC Davis, Davis, CA. (October 4, 2012).

      Van Alstyne, M., (Presenter and Author), Research Institute for Socionetwork Strategies, Platform Envelopment, Kansai University & University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. (November 13, 2012).

      Van Alstyne, M., (Presenter and Author), A Policy Framework for Knowledge Based Capital, Innovation, Openness & Platform Control, OECD, Paris, FR. (June 25, 2012).

      Van Alstyne, M., (Presenter and Author), Goldman Sachs Analyst Summit, Platform Ecosystem Strategy, Goldman Sachs, New York. (December 6, 2012).

      Van Alstyne, M., (Author Only), A Policy Framework for Knowledge Based Capital, Innovation, Openness & Platform Control, OECD, Washington, DC. (December 3, 2012).

    Accepted Lectures:

      DiMaggio, M., (Author Only), Van Alstyne, M., (Presenter and Author), North American Summer Meeting of the Econometric Society, Information Sharing, Social Norms & Performance, North American Summer Meeting of the Econometric Society, Evanston, IL. (June 30, 2012).

  • General ServiceOpen or Close

    Service to the School:

      Local, Boston University, PhD Program, Committee Member, Phd PDC, approximately 20 hours spent for the year. (September 2012 - Present).
      Evaluate phd student policies, applications, requests for research funds.


      Local, Boston University, Management Information Systems Department, Program Coordinator, PhD program coordinator for IS, approximately 40 hours spent for the year. (September 2012 - Present).
      Counsel IS phd students; approve course curricula; review & interview new applicants; revise IS specific policies.


      International, Boston University, Other SMG Service Area, Faculty Council Member, Andrew Lack Chair Search, approximately 20 hours spent for the year. (October 2012 - Present).
      Assist in identifying, vetting, and recruiting a professor who understands the economics and business models for news.


  • Editorial And Review ActivitiesOpen or Close

    Van Alstyne, M., Communications of the ACM, Association for Computing Machinery, Editor, International, Standing Editorship (Edited Multiple Publications), Appointed, Academic. (January 1, 2013 - Present).

    Responsible for editing of a standing column on how economics affects information technology and society.


  • BroadcastsOpen or Close

    TV

      "Do Google Upgrade Maps Invade Privacy?", 02/25/2013, Channel 38, WBZTV.
      Zuckerberg: Killer stuff in mobile on the way, 09/11/2012, Reuters. See Web Page

    Radio

      Stateside, 06/24/04, Michigan Public Radio.
      Quirks & Quarks, 11/30/98, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
      Internet on the Air, 01/03/98, Public Radio.