Where Did Platforms Start?

Hi everyone. I’m Harlan Webster, Marketing Coordinator at Applico. I’m going to answer some of your questions about platforms. So where did platforms start?

The truth is platforms aren’t new. While platforms are becoming more prominent now in the era we call the Connected Revolution, the Industrial Revolution had its own platforms. Examples include the shopping mall, which helps connect shoppers with merchants, and the newspaper, which connects readers and advertisers. Other examples include payment cards, night clubs, bars, farmers markets and auction houses.

However, a new generation of platforms started to emerge at the end of the 20th century. This started with companies like Amazon and Ebay in the Dotcom era. We call this new generation of platforms built for the Connected Revolution “connected platforms.”

Filed under: Platform Innovation | Topics: connected revolution, platform thinking, platforms