Platform = (Programmable + Customizable) Systems / Marc Andreesen

Marc Andreessen (Google), co-founder of Mosaic + Netscape + Ning, attempts to give a definition to "Internet platform" in his blog post: The three kinds of platforms you need on the Internet. Key points:

• A "platform" is a system that can be programmed and therefore customized by outside developers
• If you can program it, then it's a platform. If you can't, then it's not.
• There are three levels of Internet platforms:
  1. Access API: developer's application code lives outside the platform, and call into the platform via a web services API to draw on data and services.
     • Examples: Flickr, Del.icio.us, eBay, etc.
     • Problems: The entire burden of building and running the application itself is left entirely to the developer. Requires very high technical expertise and financial resources.
  2. Plug-In API: apps run elsewhere, but inject functionality into the platform via a plug-in API.
     • Examples: Photoshop, Firefox, Facebook.
     • Problems: The entire burden of building and running the application itself is left entirely to the developer. Technical + financial burdens on developers can rapidly become overwhelming.
  3. Runtime Environment: applications run inside the platform itself.
     • Examples: Ning, Salesforce.com, Amazon, Second Life, Akamai
     
     

As with Cliff notes, you don't actually learn anything from reading the gists, so go read the full article on blog.pmarca.com (indexed by SML Search)

SML Thank You

I would like to thank David Bausola (Del.icio.us / Google / LinkedIn) for sending this wonderful article to me via Del.icio.us! (David Bausola / SML Thank You)

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