So one question that came to me after yesterday’s post on platforms is this -> Is better to solve the problem at hand simply and directly, or build / deploy a platform?
Here is one answer I saw recently about whether to switch from PC’s to Mac’s in business.
Adopting—or even just adding—a new platform is more than buying a new computer: current applications need to be assessed for compatibility, sometimes requiring replacement or supplementation; employees need to be trained and conditioned to work in a different environment; and current support staff and procedure needs to be modified—and often supplemented—in order to span both the old and new platforms. The amount of time needed to successfully and effectively deploy something new is far greater than the time needed to throw out an old PC and buy a newer one. (source: http://www.macuser.com/business/macs_in_business_making_the_ca.php)
Switching to a platform is an event. It has switching, training, launching costs. These costs need to be considered. The benefits of a platform are often hard to quantify, but need to be considered as well. Accordingly, there will be many cases where making the solution a platform will not be worth it.
Posted by steinthal 
