The term platform used in the "raised area" sense applies to places created to bring users from
ground level to the operating level of a service, device, or action.
A railway platform is a place where customers can wait for the train, but its primary purpose is to bring people up to the level of the train's doors for easy access. This term can also apply to any passenger transport staging area or cargo loading dock.
A dais is a platform used for the express purpose of raising those who stand upon it over those who are standing around it. Used for speeches and presentations, a dais not only makes it easier to see the speaker from the crowd, it provides a visual reinforcement of authority for those using it for authoritarian purposes.
Platforms are also used to bring equipment operators up to the level of a device's controls or access panels, users up to the level of a service counter, or tourists up to a scenic view.