Platform Ecosystems - fundamental concepts

Question 1

How does Tiwana (2013) define platforms?

Answer 1

“A platform is a SW based product or service that serves as a foundation on which outside parties can build complementary products or services”

Question 2

How does Baldwin & Woodard (2008) define platforms?

Answer 2

“A platform is a set of stable components that supports variety and evolvability in a system by constraining the linkages among them”

Question 3

Give examples of SW P-ecosystems.

Answer 3

iOS, Android, Google, Facebook, Windows, Lego (mindstorm) etc.

Question 4

What makes a platform - a platform?

Answer 4

Multisidedness, where the (often two) sides are complementary to each other. ==> Fosters innovation.

Question 5

Describe why Facebook is a platform.

Answer 5

Facebook started out as a standalone product that was valuable to the end users. After having been widely adopted by the users, they added a second side - devs. These two sides are complementary to each other. The more users, the more FB-functionality is being developed. FB is actually three sided, because of advertisement (a third side).

Question 6

What is a boundary resource?

Answer 6

A boundary resource is the SW-tools and regulations that that serves as the interface between the P-owner and the appDevs. In order for a platform ecosystem to be successfull, the P-owner must provide resources to support third-party dev.

Question 7

What are the two drivers to cultivate a platform?

Answer 7

Resourcing:
process where the scope and diversity is enhanced.

Securing:
process there the control of a P and its related resources is increased.

Question 8

What do we mean by multi-sidedness?

Answer 8

It means that a P must consist of two or more distinct sides in order to be a P. The platform creates value by facilitating participants on one side find the ones on the other side..

Question 9

What is the role of interfaces in a P-ecosystem?

Answer 9

A well defined interface is alpha omega in platform ecosystems. Interfaces = the P’s visible information. All the info about any app must communicate and interact with the P is explicitly documented by the P-owner.

Question 10

Why do we say that interfaces are like traffic lights?

Answer 10

Because interfaces coordinates only as long as everyone follows the same rules.

Question 11

What are the three desired properties of Interface standards?

Answer 11

1. Precision in documentation:

Allows P-owners and appDevs to leverage on each other

Question 12

What are the three desired properties of Interface standards?

Answer 12

1. Precision in documentation:
   Allows P-owners and appDevs to leverage on each other.
2. Frozen/stability:
   This is critical to minimize the interdependencies between the P and apps. The widespread use makes it difficult to change (QWERTY).
3. Versatile (allsidig):
   The interface should be able to incorporate linkage in the future and permit future apps unforseeable by the P-designer.