Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the competition among mobile app stores for smart mobile media devices. Therefore, the business models of seven mobile app stores are analyzed with a special focus on Apple and Google. We use e3-value modelling - a formal business modelling technique - for analyzing the critical elements of these mobile ecosystems. The analysis of the app store ecosystems allows a differentiated view on the different strategies of the app store owners. Additionally, we look at the impact of network effects, economies of scale, platform differentiation, quality assurance, and transaction costs on the design of mobile application markets. This theoretical model allows a deeper discussion about the design choices and success factors in the different app store cases. Based on our analysis, we expect that the open versus closed models discussion becomes less relevant - so-called open platforms have closed aspects as well as the other way around - and that competitive differentiation and segmentation strategies will become increasingly critical in order to strengthen the competitive positioning of the different app store platforms.
Highlights
After the introduction of the Apple App Store in July 2008, competitors rushed to introduce their own mobile software markets
In April 2011, Distimo (Site 1) - a Dutch mobile application store analytics company-discovered at least 56 different mobile app stores
A theoretical model was developed based on economic concepts relevant for app store analysis, like network effects and platform differentiation
Summary
After the introduction of the Apple App Store in July 2008, competitors rushed to introduce their own mobile software markets. In this paper we used mainly two research methodologies: first, a concise literature review based on related papers on mobile app markets and platform competition; second, a cross-case analysis of the seven currently most popular app stores. For this analysis, a theoretical model was developed based on economic concepts relevant for app store analysis, like network effects and platform differentiation. We used economic theories about network effects, economies of scale, platform differentiation strategies, and transaction costs These analytical tools form the basis for our theoretical model of mobile app stores. Based on the crosscase analysis, we draw conclusions about a more differentiated view of open vs. closed business models for app stores
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