The Rise of Digital (Retail) Platforms

Abstract

Digital partnerships are increasingly becoming commonplace, where non-technology organisations are joining forces with the hottest digital start-ups to bring something new to the market. Looking back over the past year, companies like IBM and Box, Apple and IBM, and Blackberry and Samsung have all formed strategic partnerships or alliances to harness innovation, bring new capabilities to market quicker, increase profits and importantly, block the competition. And these are just the tech companies. Beyond that, we’ve witnessed the Amazon Dash button partnerships and the Starbucks and Lyft alliance.Here, Narry Singh, Managing Director of Digital Strategy at Accenture Strategy, discusses whether digital partnerships are the best way to get ahead and succeed in a digital era, and what companies need to consider before moving in this direction.1. Is this digital partnerships trend set to continue, or is it just a fad?Digital partnerships are key for organisations looking to get ahead and