Salesforce AppExchange (2006)
Salesforce opened AppExchange, a marketplace where outside developers could list software that plugged into Salesforce. Salesforce set the rules, reviewed the listings, and took a cut. Customers got one place to find add-ons.
Thousands of partner apps arrived within a few years, deepening customer lock-in.
The marketplace became a moat, tying an ecosystem of developers to Salesforce's platform.
SAP wants the Agent Hub to be the AppExchange for AI agents: the place everyone lists, and the place SAP controls.
