Includes bibliographical references and Index.

Over the last five to seven years, four companies have ascended to absolutely astounding heights. They are Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google, aka The Gang of Four. Yes, these companies excel via their superior use of technology. They have built inccredible ecosystems. They’ve embraced partnerships and external innovation. Beyond all of this, The Gang of Four has embraced an entirely new way of doing business: the platform. This book is first and foremost about the platform as a business model. It explains how Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google have built dynamic and powerful ecosystems. Next, it provides lessons for creating and expanding your own platforms—and uti- lizing existing ones. Finally, it looks at the candidates for the next great platforms. This book is a compilations of lessons we can learn from the world’s largest platforms and how we can apply these in our own buiness. “Essential reading on the state of business today – and where it is going. Ignore this book at your own peril.” –Adrian C. Ott, award-winning author, The 24-Hour Customer ABOUT THE AUTHOR Phil Simon is a recognized technology expert and sought- after speaker. He consults companies on how to optimize their use of technology. He contributes to Inc. Magazine, NBC, CNBC, The Huffington Post, Fast Company, ComputerWorld, Technorati, ZDNet, abcnews.com, forbes.com, The New York Times, ReadWriteWeb, and many other sites. He holds degrees from Carnegie Mellon University and Cornell University. This is his fourth book