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If ecosystems thrive on cooperation, why do platform owners expand into niches at the apparent expense of developers? Using a comprehensive data set of all Apple iOS core expansions from 2012 to 2020, we find that expansions systematically target underperforming niches\u2014those with low user satisfaction, limited innovation activity, and high market concentration. Stand-alone apps tend to occur in niches with low innovation, whereas integrated core features focus on niches with low user satisfaction and high concentration. For policymakers, these insights inform regulatory discussions on platform power and the design of public interventions. For platform owners and third-party developers, the findings highlight characteristics of ecosystem niches that are vulnerable to core expansion, supporting strategic decisions regarding cooperation, competition, and innovation investment. By linking niche characteristics to core expansion strategies, this study provides actionable guidance for regulating and managing evolving platform ecosystems.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1287\/isre.2023.0347","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,12]],"date-time":"2025-11-12T16:27:33Z","timestamp":1762964853000},"page":"1222-1241","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Strategic Drivers of Core Expansion on Software Platforms: Evidence from Apple iOS"],"prefix":"10.1287","volume":"37","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5258-4560","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Andr\u00e9","family":"Halckenhaeusser","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Business School, University of Mannheim, 68161 Mannheim, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3090-4559","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jens","family":"Forderer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Business School, University of Mannheim, 68161 Mannheim, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9886-9596","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Armin","family":"Heinzl","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Business School, University of Mannheim, 68161 Mannheim, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1605-5180","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ola","family":"Henfridsson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Miami Herbert Business School, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida 33146"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"109","reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1287\/isre.2022.1137"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1515\/9781400829828"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Apple (2023) App Store developers generated $1.1 trillion in total billings and sales in the App Store ecosystem in 2022. 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