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51-481: [REDACTED] Look up platform in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Platform may refer to: Arts [ edit ] Platform, an arts centre at The Bridge, Easterhouse , Glasgow Platform (1993 film) , a 1993 Bollywood action film Platform (2000 film) , a 2000 film by Jia Zhangke Platform (art group) , an interdisciplinary art group that researches

102-564: A two-sided market Platform (business model) , a business model that creates value by facilitating exchanges between two or more interdependent groups Platform conodonts, a type of conodonts with highly evolved feeding elements See also [ edit ] The Platform (disambiguation) Platform 4 , a theatre company in Hampshire, England Platform economy , economic and social activity facilitated by platforms, typically online sales or technology frameworks Platform release ,

153-512: A two-sided market Platform (business model) , a business model that creates value by facilitating exchanges between two or more interdependent groups Platform conodonts, a type of conodonts with highly evolved feeding elements See also [ edit ] The Platform (disambiguation) Platform 4 , a theatre company in Hampshire, England Platform economy , economic and social activity facilitated by platforms, typically online sales or technology frameworks Platform release ,

204-462: A 1.4% higher annual EBIT growth than those without a platform strategy. Platform operations differ significantly from traditional business models, where the primary focus is on selling goods or services. In contrast, transaction platforms primarily connect different user groups. For example, a conventional taxi company sells transportation services, whereas a platform company connects drivers with passengers. A notable feature of platform businesses

255-400: A 2001 novel by Michel Houellebecq Physical objects and features [ edit ] Carbonate platform , a type of sedimentary body Cargo platform , a pallet used to ship cargo and heavy machines by forklift or manual lift Diving platform , used in diving Jumping platform , naturally occurring platforms, or platforms made in an ad hoc way for cliff jumping Oil platform ,

306-414: A concept that was further formalized in the 1980s with the emergence of technology platforms such as Wintel . The rise of the internet transformed platform-based businesses by dramatically improving connectivity and communication. Online platforms such as Craigslist and eBay emerged in the 1990s, while later social media platforms like Myspace and collaborative platforms like Misplaced Pages followed in

357-450: A framework on which applications may be run Digital platform (infrastructure) , a software-based online infrastructure that facilitates user interactions and transactions Platform game , a genre of video games Car platform , a set of components shared by several vehicle models Weapons platform , a system or structure that carries weapons Web platform Other uses [ edit ] Economic platform, an intermediary in

408-450: A framework on which applications may be run Digital platform (infrastructure) , a software-based online infrastructure that facilitates user interactions and transactions Platform game , a genre of video games Car platform , a set of components shared by several vehicle models Weapons platform , a system or structure that carries weapons Web platform Other uses [ edit ] Economic platform, an intermediary in

459-413: A gradual film distribution strategy Platforming (disambiguation) Platformism , a form of anarchist organization that seeks unity from its participants "Platforms", a song by M.I.A. from AIM (album) Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Platform . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change

510-413: A gradual film distribution strategy Platforming (disambiguation) Platformism , a form of anarchist organization that seeks unity from its participants "Platforms", a song by M.I.A. from AIM (album) Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Platform . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change

561-518: A kind of shoe with a thick sole Railway platform , an area at a railway station to alight from/embark on trains or trams Politics [ edit ] Party platform , a list of principles held by a political party Platform (Mali) , an alliance of pro-government paramilitary groups in the Mali War Technology [ edit ] Platform economy , a contemporary business model based upon apps and websites Computing platform ,

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612-456: A kind of shoe with a thick sole Railway platform , an area at a railway station to alight from/embark on trains or trams Politics [ edit ] Party platform , a list of principles held by a political party Platform (Mali) , an alliance of pro-government paramilitary groups in the Mali War Technology [ edit ] Platform economy , a contemporary business model based upon apps and websites Computing platform ,

663-867: A large user base for network effects can be more challenging. Platforms benefit significantly from network effects, which increase the platform's value as more users join. However, the value of these effects can sometimes be overstated, as seen in the "grab all the eyeballs fallacy," where attracting users does not always lead to successful monetization. Digital platforms often cultivate ecosystems of independent contributors who add value beyond basic platform use. For instance, app developers create third-party applications for platforms like Facebook. Traditional companies entering platform markets may already have an established ecosystem of partners, while startups often expose their platforms via publicly accessible APIs or offer incentives to attract partners. Platform owners usually promote their ecosystems, although competition between

714-440: A major platform themselves. Platform cooperativism involves platforms owned and run by the participants, often in contrast to privately owned platforms. These cooperatives may compete with traditional platforms or offer new models for user engagement in sectors like local governance. Platforms are often analyzed based on their distribution and varying impacts across different geographic regions. Early discussions speculated that

765-522: A platform as a system with stable core components and more variable peripheral components, enabling flexibility and innovation. The development and impact of platforms continue to evolve, with ongoing academic and business discussions exploring their long-term implications and the ways they reshape markets, industries, and societal practices. Platformization refers to the increasing prevalence of large digital platforms that act as intermediaries between users, facilitating economic and social interactions in

816-401: A platform includes developing technical functionality and fostering network effects. For many platforms, building a robust ecosystem of third-party contributors is also essential. Developing core technical functionality can be relatively inexpensive. For example, Courtney Boyd Myers suggested that a platform like Twitter could be built with minimal costs. However, a platform aiming to attract

867-473: A shift towards more regulatory scrutiny of platforms, particularly in the European Union , where new regulations have been proposed to ensure fair competition and worker protections. Despite these challenges, platforms continue to be a dominant force in the global economy, with ongoing debates about how best to manage their influence. The concept of platforms facilitating economic and social exchanges predates

918-467: A structure built for oil production Platform, a component of scaffolding Platform (geology) , the part of a continental craton that is covered by sedimentary rocks Platform (shopping center) in Culver City, Greater Los Angeles, California Theatre platform , a standard piece of theatrical scenery Platform mound , an earthwork intended to support a structure or activity Platform shoe ,

969-413: A structure built for oil production Platform, a component of scaffolding Platform (geology) , the part of a continental craton that is covered by sedimentary rocks Platform (shopping center) in Culver City, Greater Los Angeles, California Theatre platform , a standard piece of theatrical scenery Platform mound , an earthwork intended to support a structure or activity Platform shoe ,

1020-409: A substantial user base must be developed to at least the level of a minimum viable product (MVP), which includes a well-polished user experience layer. Boyd Myers reported estimates ranging from $ 50,000 to $ 250,000 for developing an MVP like Twitter, while more complex platforms, such as Uber, could cost between $ 1 and $ 1.5 million. While building technical functionality is often manageable, attracting

1071-485: Is dominated by homegrown companies like Alibaba and Tencent , while foreign platforms like eBay have struggled to gain market share. Outside China, Asian platforms have seen rapid growth in sectors like e-commerce. However, the region has had less success in social media and search until the rise of platforms like TikTok . In some countries, Western platforms remain dominant, such as Facebook in India, where it has become

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1122-665: Is home to a number of startups, particularly in Brazil and Argentina, where the local market has encouraged a global outlook. The platform-based gig economy has not grown as fast in South America as in other regions, partially due to a large informal labor market. However, some scholars have noted that Latin America's tradition of worker-organized activism may provide valuable lessons for workers in other regions facing economic challenges posed by platforms. The rise of digital platforms following

1173-509: Is their reliance on network effects , where the platform's value increases as more people use it. This often results in providing free services to one group of users to attract a larger audience, which then generates demand for the revenue-generating side, such as advertisers. The shift toward platforms has posed challenges for some established businesses. For instance, companies like BlackBerry Limited and Nokia lost market share to platform-oriented firms like Apple and Google 's Android in

1224-605: The Financial crisis of 2007–2008 intensified interest in their impact on society and the global economy. Numerous assessments have been carried out by scholars, think tanks, and governments, focusing on both the overall platform economy and narrower aspects such as the gig economy and social media's psychological effects. Early reviews were largely positive, suggesting that platforms could enhance services, increase productivity, reduce inefficiencies, and create new markets. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank also noted

1275-536: The public sphere . The term was first introduced by Anne Helmond, who described it as "the rise of the platform as the dominant computational, infrastructural, and economic model of the web" and examined how platforms extend their boundaries into new areas of the internet. This process includes the extension of platform infrastructure into diverse domains, encapsulating new areas of economic and social activity. Helmond's work has been built upon by other scholars, such as Nieborg and Poell, who describe platformization as

1326-632: The United States, remains the global leader in platform companies by market capitalization. A 2016 survey found that 63 US-based platform companies were valued over $ 1 billion, with 44 located in the San Francisco Bay Area . These companies, including Google , Amazon , Apple , and Facebook , accounted for 52% of the global market value of platform companies. As of early 2016, South America had only three platform companies valued over $ 1 billion: MercadoLibre , Despegar.com, and B2W . The region

1377-1309: The accessibility, flexibility, and low entry barriers of these employment opportunities, while critics emphasize their precarious nature. Platform economy workers are typically classified as independent contractors or self-employed, a designation that exempts platforms from providing traditional labor protections such as minimum wage, sick leave, and other standards. While flexibility helps some workers, such as caregivers, manage their workloads, it also leads to job insecurity and lower earnings. Many gig economy workers earn below-average pay, exacerbating income inequality Platforms employ data and algorithms to manage dispersed workers, standardizing services while bypassing traditional workplace institutions. This practice makes unionization and collective bargaining challenging. However, gig workers have begun adapting to these conditions by developing innovative strategies to organize and advocate for their rights. Platforms have disrupted industries such as taxis and hotels, displacing traditional service providers while formalizing previously informal sectors. This restructuring centralizes value capture under platform owners. Dominant platforms frequently use exclusivity agreements to lock in users and merchants. While these practices increase profitability for

1428-414: The broader institutional dimensions of platformization, including data infrastructures, markets, and governance. The platform business model involves generating profits by facilitating interactions between two or more distinct groups of users. This model predates the internet; for example, newspapers with classified ads sections have long employed a similar approach. With the advent of digital technology,

1479-515: The concentration of capital and wealth among a small number of business owners. For example, Trebor Scholz has argued that labor exploitation is a systemic feature of crowdsourced platforms such as Amazon's Mechanical Turk. In the 2010s, the concept of platformization evolved from describing platforms as static entities to viewing them as part of a larger process of digital transformation. Helmond highlighted how platforms use APIs and SDKs to integrate third-party data into their operations, facilitating

1530-465: The decentralization of data collection and the centralization of data processing. Critics such as Poell and Nieborg have argued that this process reshapes cultural practices and influences governance, markets, and data infrastructures. Simplified definitions of platformization exist, with one common interpretation being the creation of a marketplace that charges users for access. However, more nuanced definitions, like those of Poell and Nieborg, emphasize

1581-540: The digital era by centuries. Early examples include matchmaking services in China dating back to at least 1100 BC, where intermediaries connected potential marriage partners. Similarly, ancient grain exchanges in Greece and medieval fairs have been compared to modern transactional platforms. Over time, geographic areas known for specific types of production, like certain industrial clusters, have also functioned as innovation platforms,

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1632-440: The early 2000s. The financial crisis of 2007–08 spurred the creation of new platform models, including asset-sharing platforms like Airbnb and labor platforms such as TaskRabbit . Despite the long history of platform-like systems, it wasn’t until the 1990s that scholars began to focus on platforms as a distinct business model. Early research primarily examined innovation platforms without special emphasis on digital platforms. By

1683-417: The early 2010s, as they failed to adapt to the growing importance of ecosystems over products. The creation and functioning of platforms involve technical development, network effects, and, in many cases, the cultivation of ecosystems. These platforms, which facilitate interactions between two or more groups of users, can be categorized into several types based on their main utility. The process of creating

1734-455: The expansion of economic and infrastructural extensions of platforms into the web. These extensions affect how cultural content is produced, distributed, and consumed. Platformization often involves the use of application programming interfaces (APIs) and software development kits (SDKs), which allow third-party developers to integrate with platforms, decentralizing data collection while centralizing data processing. Some scholars have compared

1785-631: The field of mobile money , Kenya's M-Pesa brought global attention to the technology. M-Pesa has expanded beyond Africa to Asia and Eastern Europe, allowing users to send and receive money via SMS. Other platforms, such as Ushahidi , have also had significant social impacts in Africa. While platforms in Africa often utilize SMS, the uptake of smartphones has increased, with mobile internet adoption outpacing global averages. The rise of platforms has brought both opportunities and challenges to Africa. While there has been less disruption to legacy industries due to

1836-511: The free dictionary. Platform may refer to: Arts [ edit ] Platform, an arts centre at The Bridge, Easterhouse , Glasgow Platform (1993 film) , a 1993 Bollywood action film Platform (2000 film) , a 2000 film by Jia Zhangke Platform (art group) , an interdisciplinary art group that researches the oil industry Platform (Australian art group) , an artists group based in Melbourne Platform (novel) ,

1887-675: The late 1990s, understanding of the broader "platform economy" remained limited. The term "platform" has since expanded to include digital matchmakers and multi-sided markets, as described by Jean-Charles Rochet and Jean Tirole in their seminal work on platform competition. In an academic context, "platform" often refers to systems that facilitate interactions between different groups, such as Uber , Airbnb , or TaskRabbit . However, platforms can also encompass non-digital matchmakers, such as business parks and nightclubs, or other entities that enable interactions beyond simple transactions. Scholars like Carliss Y. Baldwin and C. Jason Woodard define

1938-451: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Platform&oldid=1259004976 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages platform [REDACTED] Look up platform in Wiktionary,

1989-448: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Platform&oldid=1259004976 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Platform economy Platform businesses are characterized by their reliance on network effects , where

2040-748: The most common, with examples including Amazon and eBay . Innovation platforms provide a foundation upon which third parties can develop complementary products and services. Companies like Microsoft and Intel are examples of innovation platforms, offering technological frameworks that enable ecosystem innovation. Integrated platforms combine features of both transaction and innovation platforms. Apple , Google , and Alibaba are considered integrated platforms, operating multiple discrete services. Some integrated platforms derive synergies from combining innovation and transaction functions. Investment platforms act as holding vehicles for multiple platform businesses or invest in platform companies without operating

2091-680: The most popular social media platform. Europe has a significant number of platform companies, though few are valued over $ 1 billion. In 2016, there were only 27 such companies in Europe, compared to much larger numbers in Asia and North America. The European Commission has promoted the creation of the GAIA-X platform to provide the European Union with digital autonomy, aiming to reduce reliance on American and Chinese platform providers. North America, particularly

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2142-516: The oil industry Platform (Australian art group) , an artists group based in Melbourne Platform (novel) , a 2001 novel by Michel Houellebecq Physical objects and features [ edit ] Carbonate platform , a type of sedimentary body Cargo platform , a pallet used to ship cargo and heavy machines by forklift or manual lift Diving platform , used in diving Jumping platform , naturally occurring platforms, or platforms made in an ad hoc way for cliff jumping Oil platform ,

2193-755: The platform model has been increasingly adopted, but success is not guaranteed. While some digital-native firms have quickly reached multibillion-dollar valuations and gained strong brand loyalty, many platform startups fail. Companies that focus on the platform model range from "born-social" startups to traditional businesses that incorporate platform strategies into their operations. Other firms may rely on third-party platforms rather than managing their own. A 2016 survey by Accenture found that 81% of executives expected platform-based models to be central to their growth strategies within three years. Research by McKinsey & Company in 2019 showed that firms using platforms, either their own or third-party, achieved on average

2244-436: The platform owner and participants can occasionally arise. Platforms are often categorized based on the primary utility they provide. The four common types of platforms are transaction, innovation, integrated, and investment platforms. Transaction platforms, also called two-sided markets or multisided markets, facilitate interactions between different groups of users, often involving buying and selling. These platforms are

2295-610: The platform's value increases as more users join. This has allowed many platform companies to scale quickly and achieve global influence. Platform economies have also introduced novel challenges, such as the rise of precarious work arrangements in the gig economy , reduced labor protections, and concerns about tax evasion by platform operators. In addition, critics argue that platforms contribute to market concentration and increase inequality. Historically, platforms have roots in pre-digital economic systems, with examples of matchmaking and exchange-based systems dating back millennia. However,

2346-583: The potential for platform technology to drive growth in less developed countries. However, critics have argued that platforms may exacerbate issues like technological unemployment , precarious work conditions, and income inequality. Platforms have also been linked to declining tax revenues and the potential for damaging effects on mental health and community well-being. The platform ecosystem has introduced two primary types of jobs: on-demand work, which involves offline tasks such as cleaning, and crowdwork, where tasks are performed virtually. Advocates highlight

2397-604: The relatively undeveloped economic infrastructure, some businesses have still struggled to adapt. By 2017, some of the enthusiasm surrounding Africa’s platform economy had cooled due to declining commodity prices, but optimism remained. A global survey identified only one African platform company valued over $ 1 billion: Naspers , based in Cape Town . Asia is home to some of the world's largest platform companies. By 2016, Asia had 82 platform companies valued at over $ 930 billion, with most of these based in China. China's platform economy

2448-569: The rise of the internet in the 1990s enabled the rapid expansion of online platforms, starting with pioneers like Craigslist and eBay . Since the financial crisis of 2007–08 , the platform economy has further expanded with the growth of sharing economy services like Airbnb and labor market platforms such as TaskRabbit . The increasing prominence of platforms has attracted attention from scholars, governments, and regulators, with many early assessments praising their potential to enhance productivity and create new markets. In recent years, concerns about

2499-605: The rise of the platform economy could help the United States maintain its global dominance. While the largest platform companies by market capitalization remain US-based, platforms in Asia, especially India and China, have been growing rapidly. Some commentators have predicted that the platform economy will contribute to a shift of economic power toward Asia. Several successful platforms have emerged in Africa, many of which are homegrown. Africa has been credited with "leapfrogging" fixed-line internet and developing mobile apps directly. In

2550-503: The role of digital platforms to traditional infrastructure, such as railroads and utilities. Plantin, Lagoze, and Edwards argue that platforms now function as essential infrastructure, similar to the monopolies of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Business studies scholars have emphasized the network effects associated with platform corporations, where the value of a platform increases as more users participate. Critics, however, have raised concerns about how platformization can lead to

2601-418: The social and economic impacts of the platform economy have grown. Critics have highlighted issues such as technological unemployment, the displacement of traditional jobs with precarious forms of labor, and declining tax revenues. Some scholars and policymakers have also raised alarms about the potential psychological effects of excessive platform use and its impact on social cohesion. As a result, there has been

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