Would you buy a car if you could only put one brand of gas in it? Think about how inconvenient and nerve wracking it would be if your gas gauge was hovering over “E” and you had to bypass the Shell station on the corner to find a Chevron.
Obviously, limitations such as these have prompted a number of industries to emulate their automotive counterparts and design their products to work with others that contribute to the benefits of their customers. To place this concept into a more contemporary context, think about your iPhone or Android and the plethora of applications that work with them. By opening their platforms to application developers, these devices increase the value they deliver to their customers by doing everything from helping them listen to their favorite radio station to locating that desperately needed gas station.