tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13575764.post2875526899420387125..comments2007-07-17T14:55:39.336-07:00Anshu Sharmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16808179818443881370noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13575764.post-57083156720210397702007-07-17T14:36:00.000-07:002007-07-17T14:36:00.000-07:00Today's 'platforms' on the internet are yesterday's 'operating systems' of the computers. In my opinion, going forward there will NOT be a one big monolithic platform offered by the likes of facebook or MySpace. Instead, there will be a several platforms and eventually there will be inter-platform integration technologies that will spring up. Having just one platform offered by one vendor is like saying there will be only one OS offered by Microsoft and thats it. <BR/><BR/>Similar to different OSes, there will be different platforms. And just like applications are ported from one OS to another, similar porting (of applications, personal profiles) will also happen across platforms. <BR/><BR/>Now the question to ask is whether such cross-platform integration be provided as a feature of the platform itself. Will we learn from our pains of porting applications across operating systems and make porting across platforms that much easier. <BR/><BR/>It is catch-22 that all the existing platform providers have to face. Should they:<BR/>1. Become more inter-platform friendly and support the 'internet platform ecosystem'. <BR/>OR<BR/>2. Or make it difficult to port/cross-integrate with other platforms.<BR/><BR/>#1 will allow the user maintain a single identity across platforms and be able to choose best of breed features across platforms. <BR/><BR/>#2 will forcibly lock in users in the respective platform.<BR/><BR/>Time will tell if today's platform providers take a high road and make inter-platform integration a first class citizen feature in their offering.Ashwin Patelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17876346297361070167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13575764.post-46196535620792011342007-06-26T18:16:00.000-07:002007-06-26T18:16:00.000-07:00I agree with you that Facebook is a proof of concept for what is possible. And it could even be a dominant player in the social networking arena for a long time to come. I am just not sure that it is 'the platform' just yet. Would take a few years and billion dollars in revenue for me to buy that.Anshu Sharmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16808179818443881370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13575764.post-14170102298646224862007-06-26T18:11:00.000-07:002007-06-26T18:11:00.000-07:00It makes a lot of sense to keep an open mind about the platform winner aspect of this wider discussion.<BR/><BR/>I see Facebook as more a proof of concept for the underlying trends and patterns you describe and to that extent I am fascinated by the extent to which it is gaining acceptance among older people. <BR/><BR/>One thing's for sure, it's growing at one heck of a clip - always a good sign.Dennis Howletthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06266445958036176142noreply@blogger.com