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Does a Platform Owning Monopolist Want Competition?

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  • Andras Niedermayer

Abstract

We consider a software vendor selling both a monopoly platform (e.g. operating system) and an application that runs on this platform. He may face competition by an entrant in the applications market. Consumers are heterogeneous in their preferences for both the platform and the applications. They first buy the platform and then the applications. Their utility over the horizontally differentiated applications is known only after they bought the platform. In equilibrium the platform seller can be better off with a competitor in the applications market for three reasons. First, the platform vendor makes more profits with his platform. Second, the competitor's entry serves as a credible commitment to lower prices for applications. Third, higher ex ante expectations of product diversity lead to a higher demand for his application. Competition may be profit enhancing even if the first two effects are absent, i.e. the product diversity effect can be sufficient. The model also gives an answer to the much debated question why Microsoft prices MS Office significantly higher than its operating system.

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Bibliographic Info

Paper provided by Universitaet Bern, Departement Volkswirtschaft in its series Diskussionsschriften with number dp0517.

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Date of creation: Dec 2005
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Handle: RePEc:ube:dpvwib:dp0517

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Keywords: Two-sided markets; platforms; entry; complementary goods; price commitment; product diversity; Microsoft;

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  1. Joseph Farrell and Nancy T. Gallini., 1987. "Second-Sourcing as a Commitment: Monopoly Incentives to Attract Competition," Economics Working Papers 8760, University of California at Berkeley.
  2. Rochet, Jean-Charles & Tirole, Jean, 2003. "Platform Competition in Two-Sided Markets," Open Access publications from University of Toulouse 1 Capitole http://neeo.univ-tlse1.fr, University of Toulouse 1 Capitole.
  3. Nicholas Economides & V. Brian Viard, 2005. "Pricing of Complementary Goods and Network Effects," Working Papers 05-12, New York University, Leonard N. Stern School of Business, Department of Economics.
  4. David S. Evans & Andrei Hagiu & Richard Schmalensee, 2004. "A Survey Of The Economic Role Of Software Platforms In Computer - Based Industries," Discussion papers 04032, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
  5. Nocke, Volker & Peitz, Martin & Stahl, Konrad O., 2004. "Platform Ownership," CEPR Discussion Papers 4657, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
  6. Caillaud, Bernard & Jullien, Bruno, 2003. " Chicken & Egg: Competition among Intermediation Service Providers," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 34(2), pages 309-28, Summer.
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