Software platforms have been around long before the time of Steve Jobs and through the introduction of the first iPhone, itunes and the app store offered forms of platforms. In the beginning stages of Apple, Jobs was hesitant towards building an app store, but eventually complied, which resulted in over $10 billion in revenue last year alone. In an article by (@Digitaltonto), Greg discusses the intriguing history and successes of platforms throughout the decades.

1. The first platform was essentially government

The first platform originated from administration, commonly known as bureaucracy, which enabled the transition from the industrial era to large scale organizations. As a result, firms, governments, social organizations, income, and quality of life all improved at tremendous speeds, bringing about organization, management, and formation to the developing economy.

2. Platforms connect community

In essence platforms are the way we access the various ecosystems. Consider Apple’s app store -- although Apple has access to customer functionality, the app store provides an outlet for thousands of talented developers. The grand scale platforms have been able to reach, are heights bureaucracies never could have imagined. In today’s economy, the most effective method of success is derived from widening and deepening connections.     

3. The best platforms are open sourced

The most successful platforms are open to participation. The idea of ownership that platforms create, allow customers and the public to engage within a platform, leading to innovation and growth. Consider Wikipedia for example, an open source platform, accessible to everyone. They are able to reach innovative talent due to the sense of ownership they create amongst their communities.

4. Platforms are turning power

Compare retail giants of decades past, in relation to the Ebay of today. Ebay is hardly a store, but rather an auction platform. Much of their profits derive from third party sellers such as Amazon Prime, which are essentially platforms.

Platforms have brought about modernization and structure to our world. In today’s economy, we’ve seen platforms expand across various channels, such as service platforms, marketplace platforms, and much more. There’s no denying the fact that platforms are on the rise, and will continue to expand in the coming years.  What new platforms are you using?