A platform for change? Core component innovations, complementor adaptation, and multihoming in platform-based ecosystems

Abstract

Digital platforms coordinate complementor innovations through interfaces into their core components. However, when interfaces themselves evolve alongside core component innovations, complementors may exhibit behaviors that are not entirely predictable. Using granular data from Apple's five major iOS releases, we abductively examine App developers’ responses following Apple's core component innovations. We document that, in post-release periods, complementors simultaneously increase co-innovation on iOS while being more likely to multihome by diversifying to the competing platform. These choices are further explained by whether architectural changes reflect cross-platform standardization or platform-specific differentiation. Standardization spurs both complementor co-innovation and multihoming, while differentiation reduces diversification tendencies. The patterns that we document reveal an important tension: governing through interfaces enables platforms’ scalability but constrains their ability to control complementors as platforms evolve. Digital platforms like Apple coordinate large scale innovation through standardized interfaces, but those interfaces must evolve as platforms compete, and the direction of that evolution has consequences managers should attend to. Analyzing Apple's five major iOS releases, we find that architectural changes are associated with increased co-innovation but also a higher likelihood that developers diversify to a competing platform. This pattern is particularly pronounced when updates bring iOS closer to Android, suggesting that architectural convergence may lower the barriers to cross-platform expansion for developers. Importantly, this behavior is strongest among highest-value developers. Platform managers should therefore treat architectural evolution not merely as a technical decision, but as a strategic one with direct implications for ecosystem loyalty, competitive differentiation, and the retention of valuable ecosystem partners.