Scratching the Surface of Platform System Accessory Research
A look at how tech firms can innovate under uncertain environments: Trent University Durham GTA professor focuses his research on the strategic entrepreneurship and innovation issues in high technology, fast-paced and networked markets
Platform-based businesses, such as video gaming consoles, sharing economy platforms like Uber and Airbnb, and smart home systems like Alexa and Google Assistant, have witnessed significant growth in the marketplace and are transforming the business landscape worldwide. Researchers are continuing their efforts to understand how we adopt these systems.
It was research on this topic that earned Trent University Durham GTA business professor, Dr. Ken Chen, and his co-authors, high praise on their paper New Forms of Play: Exploring How Accessories Add Value to a Base Hardware Platform which won the Best Paper Award for the 2019 Journal of Product Innovation Management (JPIM) Research Forum.
“Previous research on platform adoption has primarily focused on the complementarity between the base hardware and software components of a system. But how the addition of accessories play a role in the diffusion and success of new platforms has remained unexplored,” said Prof. Chen.
“The anecdotes have long suggested that these accessories drove the diffusion of new platforms. Our research is one of the earliest studies that provide scientific evidence and systematic explanation.”
Accessories can be understood as peripherals that are optional but enhance the value of the system. Examples of these accessories can include controllers, bags, cases and add-ons for video game consoles, which enhance the overall gaming experience. In terms of a smart home system, the accessories might include speakers, light fixtures, thermostats, security cameras and smart appliances.
Using actual data in the context of video gaming console systems, the research finds that accessories that bring new forms of play (i.e., benefits that are novel and based on distinct dimensions relative to those of the base hardware system), rather than the mere availability of accessories, significantly contribute to the adoption of the base hardware platform.
“This study has barely scratched the surface of platform system accessory research, especially given the rise of smart home as well as the Internet of Things, system markets,” said Prof. Chen.
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