It’s no overstatement to say that the two-sided networked market–or platform–model is one of the most important economic and social developments of our time. The platform model powers many of today’s biggest and most disruptive companies, like Amazon and Airbnb, with others, like Nike, coming on board. Platforms use technology to connect people, organizations, and resources in an interactive ecosystem in which enormous value is created and exchanged. And researchers believe that the transformation is soon to hit a range of other economic and social arenas, from health care and education to energy and government.

More at http://executive.mit.edu/blog/join-the-platform-revolution