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Compatibility with Firm Dominance

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  • Viecens María Fernanda

    (Fundación de Estudios deEconomía Aplicada)

Abstract

This paper considers the effect of compatibility decisions on consumers and welfare in a setting where the platforms are asymmetric and consumers have to decide both which platform to join and which applications to buy that run on these platforms. The paper shows that imposing a higher degree of application compatibility, when applications are close substitutes, may lower social welfare. Application compatibility is compared with platform compatibility and the results indicate that the two types of compatibility have opposite implications for how firms and consumers are affected by compatibility. Finally, it is shown that a policy of application compatibility that increases static efficiency can have adverse effects on dynamic efficiency.

Suggested Citation

  • Viecens María Fernanda, 2011. "Compatibility with Firm Dominance," Review of Network Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 10(4), pages 1-27, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bpj:rneart:v:10:y:2011:i:4:n:4
    DOI: 10.2202/1446-9022.1262
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Maruyama Masayoshi & Zennyo Yusuke, 2013. "Compatibility and the Product Life Cycle in Two-Sided Markets," Review of Network Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 12(2), pages 131-155, June.
    2. Ron Adner & Jianqing Chen & Feng Zhu, 2020. "Frenemies in Platform Markets: Heterogeneous Profit Foci as Drivers of Compatibility Decisions," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 66(6), pages 2432-2451, June.
    3. Georgios Petropoulos & Bertin Martens & Geoffrey Parker & Marshall Van Alstyne, 2023. "Platform Competition and Information Sharing," CESifo Working Paper Series 10663, CESifo.
    4. Ding, Rong & Ko, Chiu Yu & Shen, Bo, 2022. "Partial compatibility in two-sided markets: Equilibrium and welfare analysis," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    5. Maruyama, Masayoshi & Zennyo, Yusuke, 2017. "Process innovation, application compatibility, and welfare," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 1-12.
    6. Maruyama, Masayoshi & Zennyo, Yusuke, 2015. "Application compatibility and affiliation in two-sided markets," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 39-42.

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