Abstract

In the recent years, various platform businesses are emerged. Part of the platform businesses are closely connected with service industry. For example, there are service intermediation platforms, payment service platforms, and servitization with product platforms. However, previous studies did not systematically investigate such service platforms. To make successful these platform businesses, platform providers must not only provide superior platforms but also develop the ecosystem with third party companies and consumers. This article aimed to systematize the types of service platform businesses and the significant factors related to platform ecosystems. First, we surveyed the three types of platform businesses (internal platforms, intermediary platforms, and platform ecosystems), which are studied in the research field of business and innovation management. Second, we discussed adaption of such platform business types for service platforms in the service industries. We classified service platform businesses into six types and described those features. Third, we considered the ways to realize platform ecosystems from service intermediary platforms. Finally, we proposed three future directions of service platform researches.