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Business & Information Systems Engineering

Document Type

Research Paper

Abstract

Digital software platforms allow third parties to develop applications and thus extend their functionality. Platform owners provide platform boundary resources that allow for application development. For developers, plat- form integration, understood as the employment of plat- form resources, helps to realize application functionality effectively. Simultaneously, it requires integration effort and increases dependencies. Developers are interested to know whether integration contributes to success in hyper- competitive platform settings. While aspects of platform participation have been studied, research on a compre- hensive notion of integration and related implications are missing. By proposing a platform integration model, this study supports a better understanding of integration. Con- cerning dynamics related to integration, effects were tested using information from over 82,000 Apple AppStore applications. Regression model analysis reveals that application success and customer satisfaction is positively influenced by platform integration. To achieve superior results, developers should address multiple aspects of integration, such as devices, data, the operating system, the marketplace as well as other applications, and provide updates. Finally, the study highlights the importance for all platform participants and their possibilities to employ integration as a strategic instrument.

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