MySpace

MySpace Mobile Launches Streaming Video

Bernie — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 11:38:45 -0500

LOS ANGELES—December 3, 2008—MySpace, the world’s premier social network, and RipCode, an innovator of Internet and mobile video infrastructure solutions, announced today that MySpace Mobile users across the globe will now be able to enjoy MySpace video content from their video enabled mobile devices. The first social portal to launch video streaming for mobile, MySpace’s beta mobile video initiative is committed to ensuring the best user experience by providing the highest quality video for mobile viewing. Users will now be able to view videos they’ve uploaded or have marked as a favorite. Read More ...

Verizon Teams with MySpace Mobile

Bernie — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 08:20:20 -0400

On the heels of a similar announcement from Sprint about MySpace Mobile, Verizon has launched the service on the Verizon Wireless network. My Space Mobile can be accessed through Verizon Wireless’ Mobile Web 2.0 platform. Mobile Web 2.0 is a subscription service for Verizon customers that allows access to mobile web formatted multimedia content and other interactive tools. Unlimited Mobile Web 2.0 plans are a part of Verizon’s V CAST VPak subscription, which charges $15/month. Subscribers can also access My Space Mobile and Mobile Web 2.0 content on a usage basis of $1.99 per megabyte.

Sprint and MySpace Team Up

Bernie — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Sprint and MySpace have announced a deal to launch MySpace Mobile on Sprint phones. The service allows free direct access to the new MySpace Mobile website on a U.S. wireless carrier, allowing Sprint data subscribers the ability to update their MySpace profiles on their phones. In addition users of the service view and add friends, post blogs and bulletins, send and receive MySpace messages. The announcement also marks the official launch of MySpace's Mobile website, which was previously in beta.

Sprint and MySpace Get Comfy

Bernie — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 09:21:19 -0500

MySpace and Sprint have partnered to feature the mobile MySpace version prominently on the Sprint mobile web portal. Sprint mobile users will be able to connect directly to MySpace from the wireless provider’s home page with a single click. The deal between Fox Media Interactive, MySpace’s parent company, and Sprint will also include other Fox owned web properties including IGN, FoxSports.com and Photobucket.

Skype/MySpace Partnership Illustrates Web 2.0 Influence on Telecom

Bernie — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 10:47:02 -0400

Skype and MySpace are partnering to allow MySpace members to use Skype as a communications tool on their MySpace profile. MySpace has 120 million members across 20 countries. The partnership will allow MySpace members who are also Skype subscribers to insert a Skype button/widget in their MySpace profile, providing VoIP connectivity. PC-to-PC calling will be free, but MySpace will introduce a number of revenue generating "premium" features such as personal phone numbers, voice mail, call forwarding, and PC-to-landline/wireless calling. Terms of the partnership have MySpace and Skype sharing revenue.

This partnership illustrates the growing influence of web 2.0 on traditional telecom. Web 2.0 applications further erode the usefulness of traditional landline telephony, especially among youth. As more and more subscribers utilize web applications for social networking and entertainment consumption, their desire to incorporate communications functionality into those experiences increases significantly. This MySpace/Skype partnership is a perfect example of that. While it’s too early to tell the impact of this announcement (execution of these partnerships is always a wildcard), it does shed light on the possibilities that Web 2.0 offers telecom. It challenges traditional telecom carriers to recognize that their business is evolving – and quickly. Sure, we always talk about this evolution on conference panels and webinars, but here is proof positive. Traditional carriers should recognize that Skype, and companies like them, including Jajah, don’t have to be the only Web 2.0 players. Couldn't this partnership announcement just as easily have been between MySpace and Verizon? Maybe, maybe not - it all depends on your perspective. Seems to me, Verizon's 60 million+ wireless subscribers (not to mention their partner Vodaphone's global reach) would add tremendous value to this proposition. One thing is certain. As mass markets become more Web 2.0 savvy, telecom carriers will need to be proactive to ensure they don't entirely lose this opportunity to Skype and others.

Alltel Pushing Traditional Telecom Marketing Envelope

Bernie — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 10:50:34 -0400

Alltel has embraced Web 2.0 marketing methods, and appears to be seeing some success. Ad Week magazine examines some of Alltel’s web marketing strategies which includes MySpace pages and stand alone flash websites. The marketing campaigns feature Chad, Alltel’s fictional “cool” employee. Chad’s MySpace page quickly garnered 3,500 “friends” A stand alone flash website followed, centered on the ManCave, where bungling employees from Alltel’s competitors meet and plot how to defeat Chad.

Ad Week points out that much of the marketing throughout this entire web campaign is much more subtle than other similarly developed web campaigns. Nevertheless, Alltel’s Chad and corresponding ManCave strategy has built a solid following. Alltel admits that the promotion is a long term exercise and that the results from this strategy won’t be realized for some time. For right now, it’s a branding exercise. One that Alltel is quite pleased with, especially considering the costs are relatively low, when compared with more traditional media advertising and marketing tactics.