The impact of digital platform rapid release strategy on app update behavior: An empirical study of Firefox

Abstract

The success of platform-based software ecosystems depends on the crucial coordination between platform and third-party applications during co-evolution. Leveraging the change of platform release governance of Firefox, this paper examines the impact of rapid release process on app update behavior (app responsiveness and app size change). Drawing on boundary resource perspective, we theorize how rapid release process as a social boundary resource affects app update behavior, and how app developers' usage of technical boundary resource (i.e. platform API) affects this impact. Using a unique longitudinal dataset in Firefox, we conduct empirical analyses and conclude that the rapid release process decreases size change of app updates while platform API usage enhances app responsiveness. Moreover, platform API usage strengthens the effects of the rapid release process on app update behavior. This research enhances our understanding of the impact of platform governance practices on platform-third party coordination and provides practical guidance.