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Platform capitalism and cloud infrastructure: Theorizing a hyper-scalable computing regime

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  • Devika Narayan

Abstract

There has been an explosion of scholarship on platform capitalism , with scholars identifying emergent labor practices, organizational forms, and business models. There is broad agreement that successful platform companies quickly dominate their markets, and winner-takes-all scenarios are common. However, market domination should not only be viewed as a condition but also as a process that is defined by specific drivers and practices. With regard to rapid expansion, much is said about network effects and data-intensive business models that are fueled by speculative logics as well as weak regulatory mechanisms. I advance the discussion on expansion and hyper-scalability by focusing on the transformation in underlying computing arrangements that shape the growth of platform-based companies. This article establishes cloud computing arrangements as setting the foundational sociotechnical infrastructure that drives rapid expansion.

Suggested Citation

  • Devika Narayan, 2022. "Platform capitalism and cloud infrastructure: Theorizing a hyper-scalable computing regime," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 54(5), pages 911-929, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:54:y:2022:i:5:p:911-929
    DOI: 10.1177/0308518X221094028
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