Most of us must have become aware of companies these days making an attempt to craft some very remarkable offerings in the social Networking Space. Majority of businesses believe that social networking will infuse their practices with everything around. You take my example; I must have signed for more than 20 social networks and member of different Web 2.0 community groups. In the last few months I have been keeping track of the apparently never-ending flow of news and blog coverage about Google’s new OpenSocial model for social networking applications. A lot of specialists have remarked this Google? move, as a shot to corner Facebook. To me this is a captivating set of developments to watch since Google’s own growing social networking platform, Orkut, was overshadowed by Facebook in terms of overall traffic back in September. Read more…

To a lot of people Web 2.0 might just suggest a new version of the World Wide Web, but to me it refers to changes in the way software developers and end-users use the web as a platform. It is nothing but a two-way communication between the users using the web as a platform. We can call it as exchange of information and network among the web users through some web based communities. Read more…

I still remember by friends running around searching hundreds of colleges to get information on admission procedure and other campus particulars. I wish we all knew that we would soon have this entire information just on one podium. Now, here’s one that will help you make those decisions about what college you should join a whole lot easier – by connecting with students from colleges and reading their comments and reviews on their alma mater. Surprised? Read more…

I think transferring files between computers can be very uneasy at times. Imagine keeping your files and photos to a disk or CDR, carrying it home and the disk is corrupt. Or may be a very important backup gone wrong. I know I have.
Disaster recovery experts always recommend that businesses keep copies of their important data off-site, in case of a tornado, flood or similar catastrophe that could destroy not just their hard drive but also any backup tapes or discs they have in the same room or building. Read more…

To many people today Web 2.0 may just seem the latest in the never-ending succession of Internet trend, but just like the Internet I can see Web 2.0 staying for long. It mat be or may not be a bubble of sorts, but after reading on so many social networks and search engines I can say that sites like MySpace and Digg place a perfect lesson to teach corporate establishments.

As per me Web 2.0 is a package of both threats and opportunities, the time to take your head out of the sand is now and realize if we can make use of it or let it fade away.
I would like to discuss Web 2.0 in detail, to start with let me define it for you

What is Web 2.0?

Let’s start by examining what exactly we mean by Web 2.0. In its most basic sense, Web 2.0 refers to any tool or application that’s delivered over the Internet and allows people to interact—by contributing, editing and sharing content. Read more…

Ready or not, Web 2.0, a new generation of web-based services, is changing the way people work and the way records and documents are created, used, and shared. One of the most interesting tools of Web 2.0 are the Mashups.

What are Mashups?

Mashup is web application that combines data from different sources to create one entirely new and innovative service. They are a trademark of the second generation of Web applications informally known as Web 2.0.

This new kind of Web based data integration is soaring all over the Internet these days. The main reason for the popularity of Mashups is the emphasis they lay on interactive user participation and the manner they aggregate the data in. A Mashup website is characterized by the way in which they draw content from outside of its organizational boundaries. Read more…

Skype took Internet Communication ahead

As the world’s largest Internet communication community, Skype has been giving its users the ability to set their conversations free at home, at work and on the move. It is developed its ecosystem of more than 50 hardware partners and more than 150 Skype-certified devices to broaden the appeal of Skype to a wider base of users who want to use Skype away from the PC, no matter where they happen to be.

Why did Ebay purchase Skype?

Ebay buying Skype has been a bold move for a company, that from last so many years was just revolving around its e-commerce knitting services. Although It was not very easy to draw parallels between the Skype acquisition and eBay’s purchase of PayPal, buying Skype is clearly a big departure from eBay’s previous expansions, all related to e-commerce in one way or another.

Ebay might try to use Skype to expand its moves into new markets, such as new cars, travel, real estate, and personal and business services. Those markets already are accustomed to both paying for leads and talking directly to customers throughout the purchase process. Indeed, this new business model would be ideal for some of eBay’s new forays, such as its recent purchase of the shopping comparison site Shopping.com.

There is no denying that eBay and Skype do share some similarities despite inhabiting entirely different markets. Mainly, they both share the coveted quality of becoming more valuable the more members they have. Indeed, along with PayPal, which had the same characteristics, this would be eBay’s third business that has grown from these so-called network effects.

Is Skype turning into a mere telephone service now?

In my perspective its just about the importance of human voice communication. For a very long time people have failed to understand the significance of Internet in their lives and conversations.

We all know that Skype cannot be used for emergency calling. It cannot be used the same way as a telephone. It basically depends more on the Internet and all the occasional frailties that brings. But for many of us it has become a fundamental means of voice communications. In our minds it became inseparable from phone service. Not in fact, but in our perception which, of course, equals reality. If you are Skype, that is a strong position to hold. –A remarkable position to hold considering what it is built on.

Even more remarkably many who are not users of Skype speak of it as a phone service. Maybe that is because it is easy to talk about that way, but now we have not only a strong user community, but a much larger community that accepts Skype, not for what it is, but what we think it is. The criticism of Skype’s handling of the “service outage” seems in some part a result of Skype/eBay not knowing how to handle the role they had assumed.

There are plenty of lessons to go around here, an expert field day for sure. When it is all said and done, remember that Skype, and other similar services, are not the phone company. Internet communications offers more than any phone connection—and it also offers less. Let’s now enjoy each for what it is.

What does the future hold for Skype?

While most of the collaboration industries knows Skype voice quality, ease of use and unbeatable price (it’s free), few have been paying close attention to the deeper revolution that Skype heralds, and the major transformations it is giving way too when it comes to disruptive, free, real-time communication.

Whichever way you want to look at this, it is hard to see how traditional telephone companies are going to counter Skype’s incredible disruptive power as it already allows me to talk in real-time with anyone around the world on independently of the type of computers used while offering very cost-effective paid access to any land line and mobile number in the world.

A couple of days ago an invite landed in my mailbox. Hurray! I fumbled around in the site a bit. I think at present VibeAgent is the ultimate Web 2.0 hotel site. It is worthwhile visiting!

VibeAgent is a community that shares hotel reviews on the one hand and combines that with best price searching on the other hand. It names its members as Agents, who write reviews on the same. Read more…

I recently came across an article on Internet News.com stating that Corporate Blogging is soaring everyday. The article was flooded by comments made by larger corporates, smaller companies and business professionals as well.
As corporate blogging has gained ground in the USA, the overwhelming majority of businesses around the world is also heading the same way.

Companies around the world are no more hesitant to start blogging because the benefits, costs and implications are very clear to them now. Today as the number of internet users are increasing so is the visibility of a corporate blog. Under the right circumstances and with the right approach, it has been contributing greatly to achieve a multitude of business objectives.

Today Blogs are certainly a better way for companies to inform customers about their products.
My suggestion to the companies in this not-so-distant future is they should allow the public discussion to flourish Weblogs ? A failure of nerve on the part of firms determined to stick with more timid, one-way communication may allow other, braver companies to achieve more “mindshare” by engaging the public.

Discussion is going to break out. Might as well have it break out where you can see it.

Did you ever think that Skype would make the single, most successful online communication tool?

The answer to it is very simple - A great product backed by even better marketing (effective use of website to position and promote their services).

Just like many other Voice Over Internet services, Skype queued the competition. Another product pitted at a customer who has more choices then ever and can has the flexibility to move from one product to another in a matter of time.

In such a market scenario Skype came up with a simple product that solves an average consumers needs. Talk … Talk and Talk… the fact that it was soo simple to use added to its adoption and huge success.

However, what is helping Skype move to the next level is no longer the product or its simplicity but the brilliance of its marketing team.

Skype grabbed the relevance and importance of its website and made it simple and user-friendly focusing on the information they would provide to their audience.

They added a forum to involve people to discuss ideas and views on how the product can be evolved.

Once the product had been well recognized they started using their website to sell other value added services. All done gradually and systematically - keeping the customer in mind.

The latest idea - to put customer success stories and Skype share are again examples of simple marketing ideas that can help promote a brand and in turn, involve the end user.

Therefore, if we analyze, Skype did not do anything unique or spend millions in marketing - they used simple ideas that people like you and I can adopt towards our product or business.