PlattformSilos

PlattformSilos is a term used in information technology and digital business to describe a pattern in which separate platform ecosystems operate with isolated data stores, services, and governance. In this configuration, cross-platform interoperability is limited or controlled by each platform's policies, leading to fragmented user experiences and data tradeoffs across the digital landscape. The concept is discussed in contexts from enterprise IT architectures to consumer technology ecosystems, and is often shortened to “platform silos” in English-language writings.

Characteristics include independently governed data models, API and integration fragmentation, divergent authentication and authorization schemes, incompatible data formats, and restricted data portability. These silos create barriers to data sharing, increase integration costs, complicate compliance with data protection rules, and can entrench vendor lock-in. The fragmentation may arise from business strategy, security requirements, regulatory constraints, or technical debt.

Implications involve inefficiencies in product development, reduced agility for cross-platform features, duplicated data, and higher maintenance overhead. In enterprises, platform silos can hinder analytics and cross-application workflows; in consumer ecosystems, they can degrade the ability to move between services.

Mitigation approaches include adopting open standards and common data models, implementing data portability and API governance, using middleware or enterprise service buses, and establishing federated identity and cross-platform governance policies.

Critics argue that the term can be vague and used rhetorically; in some cases silos are deliberate and beneficial for security or competition reasons.

See also data silos, interoperability, platformization, API economy.