Why MySpace? Seems a poor choice to me
Here's a story I've elected to overlook until now.
SightSpeed, a company I really like, is launching SightSpeed Light on MySpace. I've been encouraging my friends at SightSpeed to shift more toward business and away from the consumer roots they grew out of. They've been making moves to business solutions, but this release seems completely counter to that and ill advised.
While MySpace is a large network, popular with the millenial set to be sure, is releasing a free service on MySpace a viable plan for profitable business for a company like SightSpeed. If this is a proof of concept release, to test out SightSpeeds viability and potential in the social media world, again, why MySpace> The business dollars for the future certainly aren't there. Why not Facebook where college and business people are found more and more these days? A free proof of concept on Facebook makes sense. MySpace just doesn't.
I got email this morning from my friend, SightSpeed CEO, Peter Csathy that indicates this is the first of a series of announcements. I'll be watching for the rest. And I'll be hoping for news that strengthens SightSpeed's offerings and potential. This one is, for me, unfortunate and a step off the right track.
SIGHTSPEED LIGHT TO LAUNCH ON MYSPACE
SightSpeed Brings V-Mail and V-Chat Widget to the World's Largest Social Network
BERKELEY, Calif.-April 22, 2008--SightSpeed Inc., the leading provider of Internet video communications, today announced it has launched SightSpeed Light on MySpace (www.myspace.com/359330835), the world's most popular social network. SightSpeed becomes the first company to offer integrated video mail, public video posting and free video chat for members of MySpace in a free, easy-to-use, no-download app called SightSpeed Light. Empowered by MySpace's newly announced Developer Platform (http://developer.myspace.com), SightSpeed was able to easily build, test and ultimately deploy SightSpeed Light.
SightSpeed Light makes video conversations with MySpace friends livelier, whether they're real-time, face-to-face chats or threaded posts created by friends recording and posting video messages.
SightSpeed Light captures and creates video messages as posts, creating extended video conversations that are face-to-face, but not necessarily in real time. These threaded conversations start with someone creating and posting a SightSpeed video of themselves about any topic. From there, anyone else in that person's MySpace friends group can respond and add his or her thoughts. SightSpeed Light organizes the thread automatically, thus creating a video conversation, all without leaving MySpace.
MySpace first introduced its Developer Platform site on February 5, 2008, beginning a one-month application development period allowing companies, including SightSpeed, time to build and test their applications in a secure environment before going live to the MySpace community.
On March 13, 2008, MySpace launched the public beta of the Application Gallery (http://apps.myspace.com), enabling broader testing of approved applications by allowing public installation. MySpace members can now discover and add new applications from a variety of categories, including SightSpeed Light, to both their home and profile pages.
"Bringing SightSpeed Light to MySpace provides users with communications functionality currently not available in any other form on MySpace," said SightSpeed VP, Marketing, Eric Quanstrom. "SightSpeed Light allows MySpace users--especially those Gen Y-ers who grew up texting--to use video just as easily as they use text. And, all without leaving the familiarity of MySpace."
As with all MySpace Developer Platform applications, SightSpeed Light will be able to safely access publically available profile information including a user's friend list, interests, photos & albums, video, as well as status & mood. SightSpeed Light will have real estate in five places within MySpace including:
• A MySpace application profile (users can "friend" the apps)
• Access to embed applications on the user homepage (inward facing--for you to see)
• Access to embed applications on profiles (outward facing widget--for friends to see)
• An application gallery listing
• A canvas page
"SightSpeed Light is a great example of the way we intended developers to use the MySpace Developer Platform to create innovative and useful tools for our users," said Kyle Brinkman, vice president and general manager, MySpace Developer Platform. "Our end goal is to enrich our users' experience through unique and engaging applications, like SightSpeed Light, and we look forward to watching the MySpace Developer Platform continue to evolve."
For more information about the MySpace Developer Platform, please visit http://developer.myspace.com.
SightSpeed Light for MySpace can be accessed here: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=359330835.
# # #
About SightSpeed
SightSpeed Inc. is the award-winning provider of Internet video communications for both the business user and consumer. The company offers the broadest portfolio of industry-leading Internet video communications services, including SightSpeed Light, SightSpeed Free and SightSpeed PLUS, the most widely praised consumer-focused video chat services, which turn a PC or Mac into an easy-to-use video phone to communicate with friends and family around the world; and SightSpeed Business, the world's first high-quality, cost-effective and hardware-free videoconferencing service for all businesses (including SMBs). SightSpeed's services are SIP-based and standards-compliant. The company's revolutionary human perception-based technology is patented and based on more than ten years of research and development originating out of Cornell University.
Founded in 2001 and based in Berkeley, Calif., SightSpeed is a privately held company funded by The Roda Group, best known for launching Ask Jeeves and PolyServe. For more information about SightSpeed, visit www.sightspeed.com.
About MySpace
MySpace, a unit of Fox Interactive Media Inc., is the premier lifestyle portal for connecting with friends, discovering popular culture, and making a positive impact on the world. By integrating web profiles, blogs, instant messaging, e-mail, music streaming, music videos, photo galleries, classified listings, events, groups, college communities, and member forums, MySpace has created a connected community. As the first ranked web domain in terms of page views (*), MySpace is the most widely-used and highly regarded site of its kind and is committed to providing the highest quality member experience. MySpace will continue to innovate with new features that allow its members to express their creativity and share their lives, both online and off. MySpace's international network includes localized community sites in the United States, France, Germany, Australia, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Mexico, Switzerland, Austria, Canada, Netherlands, New Zealand, Japan, Sweden, Latin America, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Brazil and the United Kingdom. Fox Interactive Media is a division of News Corp. (NYSE:NWS) (NYSE:NWS.A) (ASX:NWS) (ASX:NWSLV).
(*) Among the top 2000 domains comScore Media Metrix, December 2007. For more information on comScore Networks, please go to http://www.comscore.com.
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Comments
Ken, thanks for your post. Why MySpace? Several reasons why this fits precisely into our overall strategy to be the first and only choice for both consumers and businesses (SMBs in particular)for video chat/conferencing and overall communications. How?
(1) MySpace is part of Google's OpenSocial initiative; so are LinkedIn, Plaxo, hi5, Orkut and others -- in other words, both business and consumer social networks are in our sites; MySpace is the first -- and the largest social network in the world -- we believe that is a strong sense;
(2) SightSpeed can uniquely monetize usage from even our consumer social network users (such as MySpace users) by serving as an entry point to our deeper, richer, and higher quality full SightSpeed solutions (including our SightSpeed consumer and SightSpeed Business); because we have a portfolio approach to video communications -- unlike "one trick pony" services like TokBox -- our widgets actually have a real business model and can generate real revenues (not to mention significant branding and visibility and overall penetration for SightSpeed);
(3) as indicated above, both consumers and SMBs (small to medium businesses) are our customers -- and we can effectively monetize both with our portfolio approach (again, which is unique); other services cannot;
(4) and, importantly, ALL of our users -- business users and consumers -- can "connect" and interoperate with each other on our open SIP and standards-based network; this is a critical distinction between us and companies such as Skype who operate a closed/proprietary system (think of it as a "walled garden");
(5) SightSpeed Light -- our new widget -- in the coming months also will be able to interoperate with all other endpoints, including our full SightSpeed consumer and business services; that is absolutely unique once again. All endpoints can find and "talk" to each other; and
(6) our SIP network and overall usage grows exponentially via both our partners (including some of the biggest brands in the world) and via leveraging the massive user bases of social networks like MySpace.
Finally, you can bet that we are not targeting only OpenSocial sites like MySpace. Facebook and others are most definitely on the way.
Keep the faith Ken! There is a method to our madness! :)
Peter Csathy
CEO
SightSpeed
pcsathy@sightspeed.com
Posted by: Peter Csathy, CEO SightSpeed | April 22, 2008 9:54 AM
Peter,
Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing. I was confident you would. I appreciate your insights and view, although I have to say, from a business perspective, I just can't see MySpace as a good start. I see it as a money pit. It's a great way to win an audience that wants everything free, spends little money (zero business dollars) and aren't decision makers. They aren't the key influencers and I question their dollar value in the communications revolution for the next ten years.
That said, as a proving ground for scalability, I suppose MySpace serves a purpose. But I think Facebook would better serve the same purpose. And as an entry point to richer services, it seems an entry point to the people with money to spend and decisions to make is far stronger through Facebook.
I think the SightSpeed Light widget approach itself holds great promise. I do a lot of writing and talking about Communications Enhanced Business Processes (CEBP). As a tool for integrating video services on the network with enterprise business applications, the widget can become something powerful in a business world where there's a compelling need and money to be made.
I'm certain I don't see the full picture or understand the larger strategy behind this move, but I'll be watching. You know I will!
Thanks Peter!
Posted by: Ken Camp | April 22, 2008 11:01 AM
Ken, to be clear, we agree that Facebook is a natural "fit" for us for the reasons you indicate. But, again, remember that MySpace is OpenSocial -- and there are multiple OpenSocial sites (including biz social networks). And we monetize by bringing in a percentage of social network users -- even if a small percentage -- that monetizes significantly. MySpace -- as the largest OpenSocial site -- is our initial proving ground.
Hope that helps.
Peter Csathy
CEO
SightSpeed
Posted by: Peter Csathy, CEO SightSpeed | April 22, 2008 11:25 AM
Thanks Peter. It certainly helps. I hope the strategy works, but I have reservations still. I don't think all those other OpenSocial supported networks added together (excluding MySpace) carry the user involvement and action that Facebook does. Facebook has the good karma/mojo going for it and is the one people are using. And LinkedIn to a smaller extent, but the culture there isn't a social one anyway.
It will be interesting to watch and I do hope the strategy pays off!
Posted by: Ken Camp | April 22, 2008 9:55 PM