Differences in the Impact of Digital Platform Use

In light of the widespread use of digital platforms, this paper addresses the question of whether and how firms derive benefit from their use and aims to estimate the contributing factors. Using data from a newly implemented enterprise survey in Austria, we evaluate both individual survey results and a combined measure of the effects on revenues, costs and selling prices. Logistic regressions reveal significant differences in the impact of digital platforms on firms depending on the firm characteristics and the business domains, like for sales, in which the platforms are used. Their application also has effects for the business partners of the firms. Empirical results find a predominantly positive impact of platform use on the firms' customers, consisting of firms (B2B) and consumers (B2C), with respect to quality and product variety.