The Age Of The Platform

Over the last five to seven years four companies have ascended to absolutely astounding heights. They are Amazon Apple Facebook and Google aka The Gang of Four. Yes these companies excel via their superior use of technology. They have built incredible ecosystems. They’ve embraced partnerships and external innovation. Beyond all of this The Gang of Four has embraced an entirely new way of doing business: the platform. This book is first and foremost about the platform as a business model. It explains how Amazon Apple Facebook and Google have built dynamic and powerful ecosystems. Next it provides lessons for creating and expanding your own platforms—and uti- lizing existing ones. Finally it looks at the candidates for the next great platforms. This book is a compilations of lessons we can learn from the world’s largest platforms and how we can apply these in our own buiness. “Essential reading on the state of business today – and where it is going. Ignore this book at your own peril.” –Adrian C. Ott award-winning author The 24-Hour Customer ABOUT THE AUTHOR Phil Simon is a recognized technology expert and sought- after speaker. He consults companies on how to optimize their use of technology. He contributes to Inc. Magazine NBC CNBC The Huffington Post Fast Company ComputerWorld Technorati ZDNet The New York Times ReadWriteWeb and many other sites. He holds degrees from Carnegie Mellon University and Cornell University. This is his fourth book.