  The concept of an information technology (IT) related platform is broad and
covers phenomena ranging from the operating system Linux to the Internet. Such
platforms are of increasing importance to innovation and value creation across
many facets of industry and daily life. There is, however, a lack of common
understanding in both research and industry about what is mean by the term
platform when related to IT. This lack of consensus is detrimental to research
and knowledge development. Thus, the aims of this study are to: (i) provide a
sound definition of the IT-platform concept by identifying its distinguishing
dimensions; and (ii) identify important current research directions for the
IT-platform concept. To achieve these aims a systematic literature review was
undertaken with 133 relevant articles taken from major information systems
journals, conferences, and business publications. The study contributes by
providing a sound base for future research into IT-platforms.
