The rise of integrated tech and the decline of platforms

For years, platforms have been the dominant force.

Uber transformed taxis. Airbnb reshaped hospitality. Social media redefined how we connect. Platforms changed industries, rewrote rules, and sent governments scrambling to catch up.

But is this model still relevant?

It feels like we’ve reached the peak. Everywhere you look, businesses talk about ecosystems and platforms. A model that’s had its moment. Now, a new wave is emerging. One that will change the technological landscape—and possibly leave Europe trailing behind.

Beyond platforms: the shift to integrated tech

Platforms are marketplaces. They bring together supply and demand in clever ways. It’s why Uber disrupted taxis. Why Airbnb keeps reshaping travel. The magic was in how they connected people.

But there’s a limitation. Platforms are transactional by nature. You give something (money, data), and you get something in return (a ride, a stay, a post). The interaction ends there.

Integrated tech moves differently. It’s not about a one-time transaction. It’s about a system where each service feeds into another, creating a loop that continuously improves. A loop that builds on itself.

Look at Apple’s “Intelligence” features. Your iPhone pulls data from Mail, Calendar, Messages. But it doesn’t just store it. It turns that data into context. This context flows across apps—suggesting better texts, smarter reminders. The more you use it, the better it gets.

Each app becomes more useful, not on its own, but because it’s part of a larger whole. The byproduct of one service enhances the others. This is beyond platforms. This is integrated tech.

And when this loop kicks in, the platform era fades out.

The regulatory wall

Here’s the catch: Europe’s regulations.

The Digital Markets Act is built to keep platforms in check. It’s designed for a world where each service is a standalone, where interactions are siloed. It’s all about preventing monopolies and ensuring fairness.

That made sense when platforms ruled. A service started, finished, and was done. But integrated tech breaks that mold. The real value lies in how these services work together.

In Europe, these regulations could choke the integration effect. If data must stay isolated, if apps can’t talk to each other, then the magic of integrated tech fizzles out. No one’s going to manually connect these dots. It has to happen seamlessly, behind the scenes.

Without this integration, Europe risks getting left behind. While other regions push ahead, leveraging data to create smarter services, Europe might stay stuck in yesterday’s game.

Europe’s crossroads

We’re seeing it already.

Apple’s advanced features are missing in Europe. OpenAI is hinting it might pull out. NVIDIA faces pressure to split up under antitrust laws. Europe’s push for fairness is noble, but it’s coming at a cost.

The rest of the world is moving on. Integrated tech is set to create self-reinforcing loops of better services. And Europe? It risks staying in the sandbox, offering good but not great experiences.

A continent that lagged in the social media era now risks missing the next wave altogether.

Finding a new path

Regulation isn’t the enemy. Europe has always led in protecting users, and that matters. But the rules need to evolve.

The focus should shift from isolation to safe integration. There’s a way to protect privacy while still allowing services to enhance each other. To find that balance where innovation thrives without feeding monopolies.

Integrated tech is no longer a distant concept. It’s here. It’s already changing the way we interact with our devices. The question for Europe isn’t if, but how it will adapt.

Will Europe lead this new era—or will it watch from the sidelines?