Is Your Software Ecosystem in Danger? Preventing Ecosystem Death Through Lessons in Ecosystem Health

The health of an ecosystem is by definition the most basic requirement for its survival. This paper aims to examine the driving forces behind the health of software ecosystems, in a comparative manner between four different ecosystems which have experienced a major downfall. We examine these ecosystems for similarities, from which demise principles are derived. Consequently, countermeasures are proposed in an attempt to combat these demise principles. The findings show that the main demise principles are Underestimation of competitors, Lack of innovation, and Incorrect management of the ecosystem. The proposed countermeasures to address these demise principles are to Increase market awareness to increase competitive advantage, Increase product quality, Increase platform quality, Adjust value propositions and Formulate a partner-oriented strategy