Open Platform Strategies and Innovation: Granting Access vs. Devolving Control

Kevin Boudreau · 2010 · Management Science

Summary. This study examines how technology platform owners can foster innovation through two strategies: granting access to independent developers or relinquishing control entirely. Using data from 21 handheld computing systems between 1990 and 2004, the research finds that granting access to hardware developers accelerates new device development up to fivefold, while giving up control produces smaller incremental gains. The findings reveal that these two opening strategies activate different economic mechanisms.

Read the original

@article{boudreau-2010-open-platform-strategies-innovation-granting,
  title   = {Open Platform Strategies and Innovation: Granting Access vs. Devolving Control},
  author  = {Kevin Boudreau},
  journal = {Management Science},
  year    = {2010},
  doi     = {10.1287/mnsc.1100.1215},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.1100.1215}
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Open Platform Strategies and Innovation: Granting Access vs. Devolving Control
AU  - Kevin Boudreau
JO  - Management Science
PY  - 2010
DO  - 10.1287/mnsc.1100.1215
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.1100.1215
ER  - 

Details

DOI

10.1287/mnsc.1100.1215

Countries

United Kingdom

Regions

Europe

Categories

innovation-theory, innovation-networks, general-innovation

Added

2026-04-28