The idea of a “super app” was introduced by BlackBerry founder Mike Lazaridis. In his words, it would be "a closed ecosystem of many apps that people would use every day because it provides a seamless, integrated, contextualized and efficient experience."

From a consumer perspective, this can include interacting with friends, sharing experiences, searching for music, food, or checking bank balances. From a business perspective, it allows small or young companies to gain access to established markets and generate more stability. Platforms or super apps help reduce upfront costs for a new business to become market-ready by sharing technologies and resources.

According to the Global Entrepreneurship and Development Institute, the platforms have dramatically reduced the burden of developing and distributing software for mobile devices and other products, and have allowed more small businesses to thrive, creating new jobs and stimulating economies. - as a bonus, they are also tougher in times of change. The digital ecosystem allows for rapid and scalable growth, provides revenue diversification for the main provider company and, in turn, protects smaller network companies from the worst economic downturns, thanks to stability and cost reduction.

Super apps, platforms, digital ecosystems - these relatively new expressions mark a distinct transition in the global economy. They favor collaboration over competition, integration over isolation, and experience over exclusion. Digital ecosystems thrive in a proportion directly proportional to size, making room for more companies to participate and providing customers with personalized solutions that really fit into their lives.

Source: Forbes