I always loved reading “Dear Abby” in the Sunday paper growing up… You know – back in the days where people actually read newspapers. I always wondered how “Abby” got her gig – quite possibly the easiest newspaper column in the world to write (and hands down, the most fun)… getting opinion questions in the mail and answering them, without doing extensive research. With my childhood memories at the forefront of my conciousness, I was particularly excited when my good friend, Paul (prolific Voxer and neighbor in SF), wrote me an email (which, he gave me permission to post) to ask my opinion about a popular social media topic – Plaxo:
“I have some substantially horrible memories of ‘plaxo spam’ from 2004, 2005 and 2006. I had one particularly persistent cousin who took full advantage of Plaxo’s ability to bug the hell out of his uninterested acquaintances — he pinged me from Plaxo’s site at least once a month for two years. I could have stopped the acquaintance spam by asking him to stop (though he’s not what we would call a ‘good listener’) or putting Plaxo’s address in my blacklist, but I mostly grumbled about it and deleted the messages.
Now I’m receiving new Plaxo-pings from my coworkers for a new service called Plaxo Pulse. It seems to be some kind of uber-content-stream-sucker with little added value. My question for you, oh-queen-of-all-things-2.0, do we leave Plaxo in the electronic doggy house for their acquaintance-spamming ways, or does Pulse represent a newer/better/faster Plaxo that deserves my clicks?”
Dear Paul,
Thanks for writing! I too have “substantially horrible memories of ‘plaxo spam’ from 2004, 2005 and 2006,” and like you, I’ve recently started to receive Plaxo-pings from all sorts of people for Plaxo Pulse. I know that technology products change frequently- mostly for the better, but since the spam hasn’t stopped from Plaxo, I’ve not bothered to give it a second look.
Am I being silly to ignore it? Maybe, but if it “Plaxo Pulse” were really that good, it would take note of my blood pressure, realize that repeated spamming makes my blood boil, and it would stop spamming me. Alternatively, when it did spam me, the email would thoroughly explain why I should want to join a service with a long history of spamming. And, that reason shouldn’t be that a random acquaintance or friend has added me to their address book. It should explain the benefits of Plaxo Pulse in detail and, in the process, apologize for the hundreds of spam emails I’ve received from it’s predicesor, Plaxo.
So as not to dismiss the merits of Plaxo Pulse without doing at least a little research, I went to Plaxo.com an dug around to uncover the ‘new’ value proposition. This is what I found:
“Sign up and get the only online address book and calendar that syncs with Microsoft, Google, Yahoo!, Apple, AOL — and your mobile phone.”
I don’t see the point. Microsoft, Google, Yahoo!, Apple, AOL, and any smartphone (mobile phone) each sync with free address book/calendaring apps and Outlook… Granted, if you’ve got 5 address book and calendar accounts from 5 different providers, you may need Plaxo. But, if you’re like most people and only have work calendar/contacts and home calendar/contacts, and you actually communicate with the people on your contacts list every once in a while, Outlook or Entourage should do the trick.
The only differentiating feature that I’m aware of with Plaxo Pulse is that it’s able to simultaneously sync information from 5 providers, and it will send annoying spam ‘fill in the form’ emails to your friends, family, and colleagues regularly to ensure that you have the most up-to-date contacts.
In a digital age where communication is often too frequent and less meaningful than it once was, I think you’ll have better luck staying on top of your contacts (and ensuring that they remain meaningful) by finding out where they are/ what they’re up to when you speak to them, rather than soliciting ‘fill in the blank’ updates.
Yawn? No way… Forget boring enterprise software, Ballmer made it clear that while Microsoft knows where its bread is buttered right now, their vision of the mobile future is equally bright for enterprise IT managers and consumers alike.
Microsoft has learned a ton about the mobile marketplace in the last couple of years through the release of Windows Mobile 5 and 6 and the evolution of their strategic partnerships with Mobile OEMs, ISVs, and operators, and it is arguably now the world’s leading expert in the combination of enterprise software, server infrastructure and mobile. Unsurprisingly, convergence was a recurring theme in Ballmer’s keynote…
“We have to meld these models of computing into one. That’s an innovation challenge. And we have to bring together the business models in ways that are acceptable. The business model for the world of phones and cellular devices is different than the PC business model is different than the advertising-based model that people associate with online. And I think what we’re going to find, if we want innovation to proceed at the most rapid pace, we have to meld and weave together those business models in a way that works for software developers, for users, for telecom operators, for content providers, and for software companies like Microsoft and others…
The phone has a unique role. While the PC is the most powerful device, the phone is the most popular device. It will be the device that we can most count on everybody in the planet having, and having available at any given time. But how do we evolve the phone so it participates fully in this world, fully in the lifestyle side of this world, and the work style side of this world? How do we bring all the business experiences and entertainment experiences of the other devices to the phone in an appropriate way? And that’s a great opportunity for innovation from Microsoft, and for all of us in the room participating in this industry...
In many countries, the phone will be the PC for people who have very little money. What does the docking station look like so that when you bring your phone home at night, it can use a simple, cheap keyboard, and it can use the video screen of the television set to become kind of a PC-like workstation for people who simply don’t have the financial resources for both devices?“
While I was pleased to hear Ballmer allude to a converged future, it was at this point, that I was unavoidably distracted by the loud conversation of three men sitting in front of me:
Man 1 (wielding a Blackberry Pearl): “Who is this guy?” Man 2 (also with Blackberry): “Steve Ballmer” Man 3:“Who’s that?” Man 1:“Yeah, what does he do?” Man 2 (opens CTIA program and points to Keynote description of Ballmer) Man 1 and Man 2 (in unison): oh
I was amazed and amused by what I was hearing… Is there really a rock large enough to simultaneously shield two people in the IT industry from having at some point seen this on YouTube?:
How could anyone at a Wireless IT and Entertainment conference not know who the CEO of Microsoft is?! I was dying to find out where they were from, but I couldn’t see their badges from behind, and I didn’t want to stare. 😉 Besides, I really did want to hear what Ballmer was saying:
“…IT does need to control and manage some things that go on on these devices, and yet end users are going to want to be able to control what they do with the devices in their personal lives for sure. And we have to make sure there’s a rich set of tools that will support both the end user and the IT department to let these devices fulfill a broad set of work needs...
One of the major investments that we have made, which we are really announcing today is something we call the Microsoft System Center, which is the brand name for our line of enterprise IT management tools, Mobile Device Manager. This is a product that helps IT manage, secure, and provide secure access for phones that are on the go. It increases that sort of general management capability. It will work with forthcoming versions of Windows Mobile devices. There will be updates starting Feb. 2 of next year, Windows Mobile phones will allow this product to work.“
As someone who has worked with IT departments who are resistant to change, I appreciate Microsoft’s expression of a dual focus on IT and consumer. It’s a tough line to straddle, but assuming they can get it right, balancing IT’s need for security with a consumer’s need for productivity, fun and privacy, will propel Microsoft forward in the mobile space.
Ballmer invited Brian Hoskins, Senior Product Manager the Mobile Communications Business, to demo the Microsoft System Center and Mobile Device Manager. It was fantastic. Device Management, Security Management, and Mobile VPN all in one. No one in the mobile industry has done this successfully before, but Microsoft looks like it’s onto a winner. Imagine:
never having to lose the settings on your device when you get a new one…
being an enterprise IT manager and using the same system for PCs and mobile to control devices and distribute policies…
total security with full file encryption
being an employee and VPNing in to see corporate information (CRM, eHR, etc.) securely from your phone from anywhere
Awesome.
AT&T is Microsoft’s launch partner for the Mobile Device Manager, and the Blackjack 2 is working with the Mobile Device Manager already. HP, HTC, Intermec, Moto, and Palm are also working with Microsoft to bring the platform into use, and several systems integrators including a start-up called Enterprise Mobile (which is supported by Microsoft) and other systems integrators are also working on the project.
Moving from Enterprise to Lifestyle, Derek Snyder went on stage to demo some of Microsoft’s enhanced community, personal and social entertainment capabilities. Productivity improvements to Windows Mobile 6 include easier and more robust on-device search (including voice powered search with Live search), Windows Live, and Office Mobile. The smart filtering technology makes sorting through masses of emails and contacts easy, without having to enter a specific search mode… Just type in the letters of the person or email you’re looking for, and results will filter. There are also improvements to viewing photos and pictures on email. Windows Live search is a free application that makes it easy for users to search for directions, restaurants, etc. all from the phone. (I’ve tried it myself, and it’s great… Download all of the Windows Live apps from your mobile browser by clicking here.)
Entertainment-wise… Pocket Media Player Mobile and support for stereo bluetooth headsets make listening to music and watching video on a Windows Mobile 6 phone a breeze. And, better yet, with 3 keystrokes, you can get to any song in your library of music. It is also now possible to control Media Center programming via a Windows Mobile phone. Using Media Center from a mobile phone is very similar to using it from home, as the two experiences mirror each other. Derek even managed to record his ‘favorite show,’ (ahem) Oprah from his phone. At one point, the phone Derek was using lost reception (bound to happen with so many people using mobile phones in one room) but with a quick slide of hand in the form of a almost un-noticeable swap of phones, the demo went on…
Social networking is also a focus for Microsoft. Specifically, Windows Live Messenger is now running on mobile. You can send voice clips to friends via Instant Messager. While not particularly revolutionary in scope, it is also possible to blog and upload photos from a Windows Mobile phone to a Windows Live Spaces blog in one click. Interestingly, while there was no mention of Facebook on Tuesday, today, the Wall Street Journal reported that Microsoft agreed to invest $240 million for a 1.6% stake in Facebook Inc.
As a fan of Windows Mobile, I was pleased to hear about improvements to the platform. I have high hopes for the future of Windows Mobile… While there is still a lot of work to be done, so far Microsoft is doing a great job of innovating and pushing the mobile industry forward.
Was I the only one who was underwhelmed with the Facebook and RIM announcement of Facebook for BlackBerry at this morning’s CTIA keynote? Don’t get me wrong, Facebook’s co-founder, Dustin Moskovitz, presented very well, but I was hoping for more.
Moskovitz didn’t mention Microsoft. Just hours after the keynote, the Wall Street Journal confirmed rumors that Microsoft agreed to invest $240 million for a 1.6% stake in Facebook Inc. That gives Facebook a value of $15 billion. That’s pretty big news to keep quiet at a conference where both companies (Microsoft and Facebook) had such high visibility.
Moskovitz talked a lot about the importance of creating an “open” platform, but, ironically, the mobile application he announced is “closed” to the majority of mobile users (its only available on Blackberry). I was hoping to see more seamless usability enhancements to Facebook’s mobile web capabilities (i.e. it would be nice to change my status message on Facebook from my mobile web browser.)
The good news for all Facebook mobile users is that 3rd party apps now appear in mobile profile pages, and, users can interact with 3rd party apps through SMS. Requiring mobile users to launch SMS to interact with their Facebook apps seems a shame, as this inconveniences anyone with a single threaded operating system (i.e. feature phones and any PalmOS phones), presumably requiring them to close down their mobile browser before opening up their SMS client.
Mike Lazaridis, the co-CEO of RIM didn’t do a live demo. Live demos can be precarious at places like CTIA where so many people are connected to the mobile internet and network performance sluggish. (Microsoft lost their mobile connection yesterday and had to switch phones mid-demo but did it gracefully). But, without a live demo, the audience is left wondering how good an application really is.
I’m not a BlackBerry user, so I can’t test the new app, but I’m curious to know how it performs. If you download the Facebook for Blackberry app and have feedback, please post a comment with your opinion.
In my last post, I talked a bit about what the decreasing value of the dollar means for social media start-ups. Yesterday in Tech Crunch, there was an interesting article on who is “winning” and “losing” as a result of the dollar on the slide. It is well worth a read, offering an interesting and valid short-term perspective on the impact of the fluctuation of the dollar.
I hope that we’re only seeing a short-term devaluation that will turn around in 2008 with the promise of a change of administration (and hopefully war and economic policies), but if I’m wrong, the number of “losers” (to use Tech Crunch’s term) will increase. By way of example, most of the 3rd party mobile developers I’ve worked with abroad do business in Dollars but have to pay rent, expenses, etc. in Pounds or Euros, and they’re feeling the pinch. If the dollar’s downward spiral continues, this could mean a decrease in innovation and/or an increase in cost of goods worldwide.
In addition, anyone (like me) who is based in the US but does business with companies abroad and/or frequently travels abroad is feeling the pinch with increased operating and travel costs. I could go on (and on), but I’m feeling a little nauseous thinking about it, so I’ll continue to think optimistically in the hopes that things improve (or that I find a way to get paid in Pounds!).
The Blog Business Summit conference is coming up on September 17-19 in Chicago. The focus of the first day is a workshop, and the next two days is a conference event. It looks like it will be great – covering topics from blogging for dollars to effective blogger engagement as well as new and social media and corporate blogging.
The speaker line-up also looks strong, with the following presenters:
Padmasree Warrior, Executive Vice President and CTO, Motorola
Robert Scoble, VP Media Development, PodTech.net
Andru Edwards, CEO, Gear Live Media
Kevin O’Keefe, Principal, LexBlog
Buzz Bruggeman, CEO, Activewords
Unfortunately, I’m unable to go, but I look forward to hearing how it goes. If you’re planning to register, type in discount code: P57CHI to receive a $100 discount.
Over the past couple of months, I’ve noticed an unusually large increase in the number of my friends and former colleagues based in the UK that are joining Facebook. The recent surge in popularity of Facebook among my UK friends has me wondering: What lit a fire under so many people in non-overlapping networks to join Facebook at around the same time? Is it a fluke, or is the flurry of activity the product of something else? A particular marketing campaign? Increased mentions in the UK press? Unusually fast spread via word of mouth? The announcement of new developer network?
From the outside, I can’t point to a particular cause, but one thing is for sure… Facebook newbies are joining at the right time, as the site continues to get a whole lot cooler thanks to the addition of 3rd party applications to Facebook.com. The economy of 3rd party Facebook applications is now booming. Developers are going wild, and as a result, Facebook is becoming a much more interesting place to spend time online.
Opening up the Facebook platform was a GREAT move for several reasons:
Creating a 3rd party developer network will bring a whole new segment of users to Facebook – developers and those in their networks.
The availability of a larger number of applications gives users more reasons to spend time logged on, which in turn increases Facebook’s attractiveness to both users and advertisers.
It creates an economy upon which a larger number of people can benefit. With Facebook, 3rd party developers have a place to be creative and market their products to a wide and connected audience, without the financial risk associated with going to market on their own. Facebook users are closely connected to each other, and as a result, good applications have a much greater chance of succeeding quickly through viral marketing.
Companies like Apple, Microsoft, Palm, and others have been benefiting from their investment in Developer Relations for many years. In most cases, opening up their platforms to developers and independent software vendors (ISVs) increases interest in the said platform, boosts usage scenarios, and generates buzz among press. In my experience (managing global partnerships with with Windows Mobile Developers for Palm, Inc. for the Treo 700w and Treo 750v launches), besides users, 3rd party developers are some of the best evangelists a company can get. They’re passionate, fiercely loyal, and incredibly vocal. When a company invests in Developer Relations/ Partner Alliances, giving developers all of the tools/ documentation/ support they require to innovate and profit from development, the results far outweigh the costs. In sharp contract, when a company doesn’t invest significantly enough in 3rd party developers or invests in a program that lacks direction or doesn’t provide developers with the basic tools, information, and sales/ marketing channels they need, the results can be disastrous.
So far, it appears that Facebook is doing a great job providing developers with the tools they need. And, as a result, the market for 3rd party Facebook applications is booming. A couple of my friends recently developed a Facebook app and based on their experience, development of a Facebook app is easy. It’s been fun to hear about the success of the application and share it with my friends. I’ve also enjoyed browsing the Facebook applications catalog. I recently added a BBC news feed and an app that let’s me track which US states I’ve visited. What’s great about the catalog is that you can read reviews of apps before installing them, and it’s quick and easy to remove apps you don’t like. In the future, I’d love to see a Yelp-style star system of reviewing enabled in future generations of the catalog to users help weed through all the apps before making a selection, but the existing catalog is a great 1st generation starting point.
The Guardian reports that Reuters will soon be launching it’s own financial social networking site, aimed at fund managers, traders and analysts. Reuters has some 70,000 subscribers to it’s messaging service, which is the first social feature of its site. Given this large number of existing subscribers, I suspect that Reuter’s forthcoming social network has strong potential to influence the financial community.
Reuter’s Chief Executive, Tom Glocer says that the site will only be open to subscribers and it will enable “financial services users the ability to post their research or if they are traders, their trading models.” I’m curious about why fund managers/traders would want to share strategic information with potential competitors, but I can see how this social network would be useful for discussing market trends, etc. I’ll be interested to see whether members of the financial community use this tool for genuine sharing, or whether they use it in an attempt to influence the stock markets and financial markets to their advantage.
Today, on Webpronews, Steven Bradley addresses some interesting questions raised in a couple of other blogs – namely:
Is there an optimal post length?
Will shorter posts help to retain readers and even lead to more links?
What makes you unsubscribe from a blog’s RSS feed?
Bradley’s ultimate conclusion is that the best blogs have a mix of long, medium, and short posts. He’d “prefer to focus on quality and let the length of the post be what it is… to find [his] blogging voice than consciously attempt to stifle it.”
I struggle with the same questions when writing my own blog. Plenty of my readers tell me that they appreciate my more in-depth (translation: really long) posts. But, I seem to get just as many comments (if not more) on short posts as I do on long posts. Bradley’s blog made me realize that we still have a lot to learn about social media and web 2.0 optimization:
What are the best ways for companies to engage customers through social media?
How should individual bloggers and social media mavens (i.e. those who set up social networks/ groups on sites like Ning, Vox, Gather, etc.) structure their content to best engage with their peers around areas of mutual interest?
There are certainly a lot of assumptions to test. So far, it seems that marketers and bloggers are throwing ideas against the wall and seeing what sticks. In time, there will more scientific ways to answer these questions. Marketers are only beginning to understand the “science” behind web 2.0, social media, and targeted delivery of information to customers. As web 2.0 and social media evolve, there is a growing buzz about:
Search Engine Optimization (SEO),
Social Media Optimization (SMO), and
Website Analytics/ Testing/ Website Optimization, which includes things like A/B Split Testing and Multivariate Promotion Testing, Targeted Content Delivery based on the profile of a specific visitor, Landing Page Optimization, and Predictive Delivery / Cross Selling, etc.
These three topics are closely intertwined… When a company spends money on SEO to ensure that their websites and/or corporate blogs/ social media properties are well placed in search results pages, their efforts won’t result in customer conversion if the person who lands on their site can’t immediately find relevant information they’re looking for. Similarly, if corporations are writing blogs that are too long or too short for their desired audience, they’ll lose that audience. With that in mind, I think that concept testing, website optimization and analytics are the key to answering the key questions about the value of social media. These topics will be of growing importance in the coming years as marketers strive to better understand and target customers to capture greater returns on web-based investments.
There are a some interesting players in the testing and optimization spaces (Offermatica – which, in the interests of full blogging disclosure, is a company that I recently interviewed with; Optimost; Touch Clarity, which was recently purchased by Omniture; Kefta; to some extent Google; and others). If you are a marketer with experience working the products/services of any of these (and similar) companies, I’d love to hear your thoughts on their usefulness. In my opinion, web marketers are only just starting to realize the value of testing and web optimization. It will be very interesting to watch this space as web 2.0 and social media continue to grow.
