Internet of things (IoT) brings new opportunities and represents a new source of welfare and efficiency. However, the emerging consumer IoT platform competition creates the risk of monopoly power due to network effects. Overall, it is likely that both competition (incentivized through lowering consumer switching costs) and cooperation (achieved through interoperability, which enables data portability and service provider multihoming) are needed to maximize social welfare. This article aims to address how consumer switching costs and provider multihoming affect competition of emerging consumer IoT data platforms under different market conditions and regulatory schemes. It utilizes agent-based modelling that is especially suitable when decision making is distributed at a micro level while some rules are applied in a centralized fashion. The obtained findings emphasize the role of the regulator in guiding the market. It seems that when switching costs diminish at all sides of the platforms, consumers and service providers will favour the platform with a higher number of users. Further, service provider multihoming mitigates market concentration on both sides of a platform when switching costs are low. Thus, there seems to be a minimum level of interoperability needed to promote market competition. Further, although data portability gives more freedom to consumers in choosing a platform provider, it may result in a winner-takes-all situation due to strong indirect network effects.

物联网（IoT）带来了新的机遇，并代表了福利和效率的新来源。然而，由于网络效应，新兴的消费者物联网平台竞争带来了垄断权力的风险。总体而言，可能需要竞争（通过降低消费者转换成本来激励）和合作（通过互操作性来实现，从而实现数据可移植性和服务提供商的多归属），以最大化社会福利。本文旨在探讨在不同的市场条件和监管方案下，消费者转换成本和提供商多宿主如何影响新兴消费者物联网数据平台的竞争。它利用基于代理的建模，该模型特别适用于在微观级别分发决策同时以集中方式应用某些规则的情况。获得的发现强调了监管机构在指导市场方面的作用。看来，当平台各个方面的转换成本都降低时，消费者和服务提供商将青睐拥有更多用户的平台。此外，当交换成本较低时，服务提供商多宿主可减轻平台两侧的市场集中度。因此，似乎需要最低程度的互操作性来促进市场竞争。此外，尽管数据可移植性使消费者在选择平台提供商时有更大的自由度，但由于强大的间接网络效应，可能会导致赢家通吃。消费者和服务提供商将青睐拥有更多用户的平台。此外，当交换成本较低时，服务提供商多宿主可减轻平台两侧的市场集中度。因此，似乎需要最低程度的互操作性来促进市场竞争。此外，尽管数据可移植性为消费者提供了更多选择平台提供商的自由，但由于强大的间接网络效应，它可能导致赢家通吃。消费者和服务提供商将青睐拥有更多用户的平台。此外，当交换成本较低时，服务提供商多宿主可减轻平台两侧的市场集中度。因此，似乎需要最低程度的互操作性来促进市场竞争。此外，尽管数据可移植性使消费者在选择平台提供商时有更大的自由度，但由于强烈的间接网络效应，可能会导致赢家通吃。