iIoT ecosystem development through boundary resources: a Siemens MindSphere case study

Abstract

Emerging Industrial Internet of Things (iIoT) platforms generate cross-company added value, providing functionalities and technologies for a variety of digital services in the industrial engineering. iIoT platforms integrate various stakeholders, such as end customers and complementors and build iIoT ecosystems. Earlier research has recognized boundary resources as an emergence and governance mechanism for software ecosystems. In this study we apply the boundary resources for iIoT by exploring the longitudinal case study of the Siemens MindSphere ecosystem. The goal of this exploratory paper is to show which boundary resources are currently used in iIoT ecosystems and how do they impact the development of iIoT ecosystems.