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September 28, 2007
Lack of Exits Is Not Slowing RSS Feedreading Innovators
Sister site the alarm:clock writes about the lessons learned from the first wave of pure-play RSS reader software developers, and speculates on how Netvibes, Webwag, and Pageflakes will develop.
Your alarm:clock euro reporter would like to add that the innovation continues, there is yet another wave of RSS reading and filtering tools coming to the market, according to a recent post in TechBytes, from Jason Ball.
So how will these developers that know a thing or two about RSS and related web technologies make money? One strategy is applying RSS prowess to the enterprise, or to specific types of applications used by businesses. Finding a niche is what the alarm:clock calls it.
There is already a trend on this side of the Atlantic of applying RSS know-how to market intelligence, which seems to be creating some growth for early adopters.
Ball's funds has invested in Magpie, which is applying RSS know-how and its own proprietary crawlers to brand intelligence and media monitoring. Note we are talking about Magpie whose service is called BrandWatch , not to be confused with Magpie, an open source RSS reader.
From what its website says, Brandwatch not only tracks hits (mentions in the press and blogs), it measures the sentiment, and the credibility of the source, for example. The screen shots suggest it delivers the plethora of data in a way that you can actually use it.
In the UK, there are other examples of companies that have built new businesses, at least in part, on the ability to add value to the firehose of information being pumped out by RSS feeds. For example, Library House, which is specialized in fast growing companies, and StrategyEye , which is specialized in new media market intelligence.
And Skinkers has evolved its model since its early days. In recently published user case studies it says that it has turned on its software at places like Virgin Atlantic to improve the way the airline disseminates its fare information, helping it to make more money in the process.
We're sure there is more evolving at Netvibes, Pageflakes, and Webwag, and other innovators. And we'll report it as long as we hear about it.
Posted on September 28, 2007 06:50 AM | Posted to Web 2.0 | Permalink
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