Platforms like the iPhone and Twitter are becoming control freaks, says
Digital
Beat, and it knows why. “It looks like the platforms are eager to take over what appear to be lucrative business opportunities … developers helped to
build,� it writes. “It may be that wresting back control from the [developer] stakeholders is imperative if a platform is to grow.� In other
works, “Companies are recognizing that while the open nature of the web has been a great contributor to their growth, they need to erect entry barriers one way or the other to limit
competition if they want to sustain growth at the same rate.� What’s more, “When companies decide to continue investing in existing assets by,
for example, building new products/services on top of existing ones, they’re more inclined to protect that investment by exerting more control over their base
products.� In turn, the independent developers who contributed to the success of Twitter and the iPhone are left out in the cold.
