In this study we examine the antecedents of small independent software vendor (ISV) decisions to join a platform ecosystem. Using data on the history of partnering activities from 1201 ISVs from 1996 to 2004, we find that appropriability strategies based on intellectual property rights and the...

A repeated challenge in launching a two-sided market platform is how to ignite the cross-side network effects to jumpstart adoption. This issue is often addressed in the literature by using pricing controls, which frequently reveals an optimal solution structure: subsidizing one side of the...

In this paper, we explore the strategic decision of an incumbent to open a proprietary technology platform in order to allow same-side co-opetition in a market characterized by network effects. We propose a game-theoretic model that analytically conceptualizes the interplay among the degree of...