Invisible Engines: How Software Platforms Drive Innovation and Transform Industries

摘要: Winner of the Business, Management & Accounting category in 2006 Professional/Scholarly Publishing Annual Awards Competition presented by Association American Publishers, Inc. Software platforms are invisible engines that have created, touched, or transformed nearly every major industry for past quarter century. They power everything from mobile phones and automobile navigation systems to search web portals. been source enormous value consumers helped some entrepreneurs build great fortunes. And they likely drive change will dwarf business technology revolution we seen this point. Invisible Engines examines dynamics strategies used firms recognize transformative unleashed new revolutiona both old industries. The authors argue order understand successes software platforms, must first their role as a technological meeting ground where application developers end users converge. Apple, Microsoft, Google, example, charge little nothing using make most money users; Sony PlayStation other game consoles, contrast, subsidize more developers, who pay royalties access code need write games. More applications attract users, applications. lead profits. explores story through lens companies mastered platform-balancing act. It offers detailed studies personal computer, video console, digital assistant, smart phone, media platform industries, focusing on decisions made players profits stay step ahead competition. Shorter discussions Internet-based provide an important glimpse into future which way buy, pay, watch, listen, learn, communicate forever. An electronic version book is available under Creative Commons license.