The Evolution of Digital Platform Ecosystems: An Identity Domain Perspective

For managers, this research demonstrates that the long-term success of digital platform ecosystems requires identity-coherent orchestration. For example, Apple iOS’s identity domain around a seamless, premium user experience on the iOS ecosystem legitimizes Apple’s “walled garden” and vertical integration approach. Conversely, Google Android’s identity domain of data ubiquity drives Google’s horizontal scaling and proprietary control points. Platform sponsors are cautioned that deviating from their identity domain or appearing as incoherent to their partners and users—as seen in the failures of BlackBerry and Windows Phone—creates strategic dissonance that confuses participants and erodes competitive distinctiveness. For policymakers, this research challenges “one-size-fits-all” regulations, such as the European Union’s Digital Markets Act. Ex ante mandates may disproportionately undermine vertically integrated, privacy-centric models, like iOS, while leaving data-driven ecosystems, like Android, relatively unscathed. Effective antitrust policy must move beyond size thresholds (i.e., gatekeeper status classifications) to consider how the enforcement of ex ante and ex post regulatory approaches can account for the dynamic evolution of digital platform ecosystems as informed by their unique identity domain.