Multihoming Revisited - A Data Network Effects Perspective on Complement Value Creation

Abstract

The growing relevance of artificial intelligence (AI) and data in digital platform ecosystems has introduced new pathways of value creation, recently discussed by scholars as “data network effects”. Drawing upon a dataset of 7,063 iOS gaming apps, this study investigates in light of the increased potential to leverage user data, how complement multihoming affects consumer value, shaped by complement independence from the platform core and value capture by complementors. We contribute three-fold to Information Systems research: first, we provide an updated perspective on multihoming by revealing a value contribution by multihoming complements; second, our results emphasize the value advantage of complements with high software autonomy; third, we demonstrate the diminishing effect of complementors’ value capture, such as direct and indirect monetization, on complement quality in multihoming contexts. Our findings offer practical insights for complementors and platform providers navigating value creation and capture in today’s digital ecosystems.