Platforms have become central to many industries today. They create a new blueprint for competition as they not only facilitate formation of new products and services but also shape business models, impact strategies, and transform entire industries. A platform is a foundation on which third parties can build a complementary product or service. Hence, for meeting the requirements of heterogeneous users and exploit network effects, platform owners encourage complementary innovation from outside resources such as customers, research companies, business partners, and universities. Such an approach of complementary innovation has given rise to the platform ecosystem model.
Platform ecosystems are comprised of externally produced complements that augment the platform capabilities. Ecosystem leaders usually do not possess formal authority over application developers, but work with them in a loose manner. Platform-based technologies such as personal computers, video game consoles, and mobile computing systems are vital in the information economy.
The crucial challenge for platform providers is to constantly sustain and foster an innovative ecosystem around their platform. Moreover, contemporary literature lacks the case studies providing fruitful insights into the phenomenon of the platform ecosystem. The aim of this special issue is to publish cutting-edge research to enhance the understanding of the challenges, opportunities, strategies, and architecture of the platform ecosystem.
Examples of topics of interest for the special issue include, but are not limited to:
platform businesses versus product/service businesses;
developing platform strategy;
aligning platform architectures and strategy;
evolving a platform ecosystem;
platform ecosystem governance;
designing and orchestrating software platform ecosystems;
creating and managing apps for software platforms;
mobile platform ecosystems;
case studies on digital aggregators; and
case studies on contemporary platform ecosystems (mobile computing, browsers, social networks, publishing, video games, search engines, etc.).
This special issue also welcomes teaching case articles describing certain contemporary methods of teaching IT cases that engage students in realistic business scenarios. For example, a new teaching case could explore the complex issues involving the transition of technology platforms, organization and management of new technologies, and importance of stakeholder commitments in new technology acceptance. Such teaching case articles must be accompanied by a research note and a teaching note.
Submission format and guidelines
The research must present one or more well described cases and/or applications befitting the mission of the Journal of Information Technology Case and Application Research (JITCAR). The case research can be by itself or in conjunction with empirical or experimental research. It is important to note that the submitted papers not only demonstrate issues related to platform ecosystems, but also advance our current understanding of implications of platform ecosystems on organizational performance through adoption of innovative technology and systems.
All submitted papers must be clearly written in English and must contain only original work, which has not been published by, or is currently under review for, any other journal, conference, symposium, or workshop. Manuscripts should explicitly state what is unique and valuable about the paper within the context of the special issue theme.
Important dates
Paper Submission: August 1, 2017
First Round Decision: September 30, 2017
Revision Due: November 15, 2017
Final Decision: January 15, 2018
Submission requirements
Please submit the manuscripts to either of the two special issue co-editors (with copy to the other editor) by the due dates.
Special issue co-editors
Dr. Mahadeo Jaiswal, Director, Indian Institute of Management, Sambalpur, Odisha, India 768200.
E-mail: [email protected].
Dr. Sumedha Chauhan, Assistant Professor of Information Systems, School of Management, G D Goenka University, Sohna Gurgaon Road, Sohna, Gurgaon, Haryana, India 122103.
E-mail: [email protected].