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WassUp – May 24, 2011

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The battle for VOIP: Microsoft acquires Skype

May 9

With its $8,5 billion in cash, the Skype acquisition is the biggest deal yet in the history of Microsoft.

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The battle for VOIP: Microsoft acquires Skype

/what/For some time, both Google and Facebook were speculated to buy Skype from its current owners, amongst which eBay. But in the end, it was Microsoft that coughed up a staggering $8,5 billion in cash to acquire the service that lets users place voice- and video calls over the Internet and chat online.

/details/• Skype currently counts 170 million active users • With its $8,5 billion, the acquisition is the biggest deal in the history of Microsoft• According to Microsoft, Skype will be coming to Xbox and Kinect, Windows Phone, Lync

and Outlook, plus other Windows devices and communities.

May 9/slide notes/

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The battle for VOIP: Microsoft acquires Skype

/comments/Although this might look like a surprising move, the company has quite some reasons to justify the acquisition.

1. phones:• There is a move to Voice-Over-IP (VOIP). Google has its own offering with Google Voice,

Apple has FaceTime, Microsoft now has catched up by taking hold of the biggest player in the field.

• With the Nokia aggreements in mind, having Skype on every Windows Phone handset could help sell a lot of phones.

2. Facebook:• Facebook is looking to offer video and voice services to the users of Facebook chat. Call

minutes would be purchased with Facebook Credits.• Microsoft, as a Facebook share-holder, could now allow Facebook to integrate Skype

into its platform.• In turn, Microsoft could gain access to Facebook's massive user base and payment

system, which it could use to enhance Bing search results.

/bookmarks/• http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2011/may11/05-10corpnewspr.mspx

May 9/slide notes/

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The battle for music in the cloud: Google

May 10

Just like Amazon Cloud Drive, Google Music is launching without any support of the record labels.

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Amazon Google Apple

Cloud offering Cloud Drive + Cloud Player Google Music /

Store Amazon MP3 store / iTunes store

Free storage 5GB (= 2.000 songs) 20.000 songs ?

Music player PC, Mac, Android PC, Mac, Android (core app) ?

Offline listening Yes Yes ?

Upload process Single tracks Single tracks Database file

Cost / year 20 GB ($20), 50 GB ($50), 100 GB ($100), 200 GB ($200), 500 GB ($500), 1,000 GB ($1,000)

Free (limited time) ?

Availability Amazon Cloud Drive: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,U.K., USAmazon Cloud player: US

US only ?

Label support / / EMI, Warner, Sony

The battle for music in the cloud: Google

May 10

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The battle for music in the cloud: Google

/what/Two months after Amazon unveiled its cloud music offering, Google beta-launched Google Music, a way of storing your personal music ‘in the cloud’ and accessing it from different devices.

/details/• (See previous slide)• Google Music was launched without support of the record labels. According to Google,

there is no difference between storing your music on a personal mp3 player or on a hard drive in the cloud. The record labels however tend to disagree.

• Apple is rumored to be announcing its competing cloud service at WWDC in June, likely with full cooperation from the labels

May 10/slide notes/

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The battle for music in the cloud: Google

/comments/When Amazon launched Amzon Cloud Drive and Cloud Player without any support of the labels, Google also decided not to wait for the labels’ approval and openly join the battle for music in the cloud. However, the biggest competitor has still to enter: Apple.

Apple’s iTunes Store has been dominating online music sales for years. And while the labels have constantly been looking for someone, anyone to help counter Apple’s power in their business, Apple now seems to be their only hope left. This has put Apple in a solid negotiation position leading up to agreements with already 3 of the 4 major labels: EMI, Warner and Sony. The music industry, on the other hand, bets on the fact that Apple’s music service will make the competing offerings look shabby by comparison and that this will grant them the power to force Amazon and Google to pay the licensing rates the labels are asking.

For Apple, one of the big advantages of having the support of the labels is that the biggest flaw in Amazon’s and Google’s solutions –being the time it takes to upload an entire music library- can be avoided: Apple could simply take the small iTunes database file and re-create the library in the cloud.

Conclusion: Apple already won even before entering the arena…

/bookmarks/• http://music.google.com/about/

May 10/slide notes/

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The Battle for deals: Groupon Now

May 11

With ‘Groupon Now’, Groupon enters the market of local, time-based deals.

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The Battle for deals: Groupon Now

May 11

Currently, the service is only available in Chicago, hometown of Groupon. But a roll out in other US cities and Europe is expected soon.

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The Battle for deals: Groupon Now

/what/Groupon, known for its daily group-deals , has entered the local, time-based deals market with ‘Groupon Now’. Groupon Now allows you to see any deals that are currently (within a specific time frame) active in your vicinity, and claim your discount in store upon showing the barcode on your mobile.

/details/• Groupon Now is currently only active in Chicago, hometown of Groupon.• Groupon Now can be accessed via an update of the Groupon app in the Android and

Apple marketplaces.• On the merchant side of things, there is a new administration page for those looking to

set up a Groupon Now account. It explains the process for merchants looking to move into offering the new timed deals.

• Internally, Groupon refers to ‘Groupon Now’ as ‘Groupon 2.0’, indicating they see local, time-based deals as the future for Groupon.

May 11/slide notes/

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The Battle for deals: Groupon Now

/comments/With this move, Groupon enters an already crowded battlefield: Google deals, Facebook deals, Foursquare deals, … Question is who will conquer the hill. Groupon for one seems to be playing it smart by teaming up with Fourquare and (allegedly) becoming their deals provider in the near future.

/bookmarks/• http://www.groupon.com/now

May 11/slide notes/

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Adobe unveils CSS regions proposal

May 11

The proposal includes threading content (content that flows from one area to another), arbitrarily shaped containers & exclusions and region styling (depending on the area)

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Adobe unveils CSS regions proposal

May 11

To download a small CSS regions-enabled browser and examples, go to http://labs.adobe.com/downloads/cssregions.html

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Adobe unveils CSS regions proposal

/what/Adobe submitted a proposal for an addition to the CSS module to the W3C, called ‘CSS regions’. This would allow web designers to create more complex , magazine-like designs by letting content flow in columns and follow shapes.

/details/• the proposal includes

• Threading content: Content that flows from one area to another.• Arbitrarily shaped containers: Text displayed in non-rectangular areas.• Arbitrarily shaped exclusions: Text can wrap around arbitrary shapes.• Region styling: Styling content depending on the area in which it flows.

• The proposal submitted is for webkit browsers (Chrome and Safari)

May 11/slide notes/

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Adobe unveils CSS regions proposal

/comments/If adopted, CSS regions could be a valuable addition to CSS. Especially for creating magazine-like experiences on tablets, this could allow for more pollished designs and a cleaner way of dealing with the way content flows on a page, for instance when a tablets orientation is changed.

/bookmarks/• http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/cssregions/• http://labs.adobe.com/downloads/cssregions.html

May 11/slide notes/

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Think Insights with Google

May 11

Think Insights will also send out a newsletter on latest featured topics, research studies, videos and upcoming web events. Go to http://www.google.com/think/insights/

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Think Insights with Google

/what/Think Insights is a website where Google publishes its data-supported insights about digital marketing trends. From papers to case studies to videos, Think Insights represents the ongoing work it’s doing to better understand how people use the web, and how marketers are adapting to this changing terrain.

/details/• The website contains case studies, papers and videos• Content can be searched based upon industry, demographic and marketing objective• Think Insight will also send a monthly newsletter to subscribers

/comments/Although the content currently is very US-focused, Think Insights is a valuable source for all marketers.

/bookmarks/• http://www.google.com/think/insights/

May 11/slide notes/

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Google Chromebook

May 11

Chromebooks work with Chrome OS, the Chrome browser and the Chrome web store.

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Google Chromebook

May 11

For both education and business, Chromebooks will be available for leasing from June 15th. Business will pay $28 per user per month, schools $20 per student per month.

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Google Chromebook

/what/At the Google I/O event, Google announced a new kind of notebook: the Chromebook. This laptop-alike device runs on Google’s Chrome operating system, has the Chrome web browser and can use applications from the Chrom web store via the web. It is however a web-only computer without the ability to store personal files or install local applications.

/details/• Two models are to be released: Acer Chromebook and Samsung Chromebook• Start-up in 8 seconds, built-in 3G and WIFI, 8 hours battery life• Google Chromebook is aimed at students, businesses and consumers• For both education and business, Chromebooks will be available for leasing from June

15th. • For businesses, the monthly rate will be $28 per user and for schools it will be $20 per

student. A 3-year subscription contract will be required for both businesses and education institutes.

• For consumers prices will start at $349 for Acer Chromebook (WiFi) and go up to $499 for the Samsung Series 5 (3G).

• Chromebooks will be available via Amazon and Best Buy from June 15 in the US. They'll also be sold in UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Italy - with the vendors to be announced soon.

May 11/slide notes/

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Google Chromebook

/comments/Google has long time building up to the Google Chromebook. The Chrome browser, Chrome OS, the Chrome web store… they all were aimed at their vision of the ‘web only’ device.

However, with the top 5 most popular netbooks on Amazon being in the price range between $250 and $285, the Chromebook is being priced rather high. For power users on the other hand, Google will struggle to sell the netbook. For most power users, they will need a laptop and increasingly they will use a tablet too. The Chromebook is right in-between and so it doesn't have a good selling point for power users.

/bookmarks/• http://www.google.com/chromebook/

May 11/slide notes/

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Facebook simplifies promotions guidelines

May 11

Full Facebook promotions guidelines: http://www.facebook.com/promotions_guidelines.php

You will not communicate about or administer a promotion on Facebook if:

• The promotion is open or marketed to individuals who are under the age of 18;

• The promotion is open to individuals who reside in a country embargoed by the United States;

• The promotion, if a sweepstakes, is open to individuals residing in Belgium, Norway, Sweden, or India;

• The promotion’s objective is to promote any of the following product categories: gambling, tobacco, firearms, prescription drugs, or gasoline;

• The prize or any part of the prize includes alcohol, tobacco, dairy, firearms, or prescription drugs; or

• The promotion is a sweepstakes that conditions entry upon the purchase of a product, completion of a lengthy task, or other form of consideration.

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Facebook simplifies promotions guidelines

May 14

Full Facebook promotions guidelines: http://www.facebook.com/promotions_guidelines.php

• Promotions on Facebook must be administered within Apps on Facebook.com, either on a Canvas Page or an app on a Page Tab.

• You must not use Facebook features or functionality as a promotion’s registration or entry mechanism.

• You must not condition registration or entry upon the user taking any action using any Facebook features or functionality other than liking a Page, checking in to a Place, or connecting to your app.

• You must not use Facebook features or functionality, such as the Like button, as a voting mechanism for a promotion.

• You must not notify winners through Facebook, such as through Facebook messages, chat, or posts on profiles or Pages.

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Facebook simplifies promotions guidelines

/what/If you want to do a contest or promotion on Facebook, you have to apply to the Facebook Promotions guidelines. Those guidelines however contained some rules that came from country legislations. Facebook now removed those rules from its guidelines.

/details/• Removed rules : see slide 23• Rules still applicable: see slide 24

/comments/When deploying contests on Facebook, the Facebook Promotions guidelines are not the only guidelines applicable: There are also Facebook’s Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, Facebook’s Advertising Guidelines, and Facebook’s Platform Policies. And of course the local laws of the country (for example the ‘wet op de kansspelen’ in Belgium).

/bookmarks/• http://www.facebook.com/promotions_guidelines.php

May 11/slide notes/

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Axe Dark Temptation campaign by Ogilvy Tunisia

Go to http://apps.facebook.com/axestatus/

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Made in Belgium: Visit the MAS live online

Visit http://livetour.mas.be/

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Thank you for listening.Now let’s talk.

Geert De LaetDigital strategist & Technology evangelist

gdelaet@luon.comTwitter: @geertdelaet

http://www.luon.com