Google Launches Cross-Platform Social Networking Project
Google is to take on social networking giant Facebook with the launch of a new cross-platform project called OpenSocial.
The new service will link with a range of other networks including business-focused sites, and will work across a number of social networking sites including LinkedIn, Plaxo, and Google’s own Orkut service.
Other confirmed partners for the project include Hi5, iLike and Oracle. The two biggest players in the sector, Facebook and MySpace, are not taking part.
OpenSocial is an attempt to break down the barriers between social networking services — all of which have a different way of storing and using visitor data.
Google’s cross-platform initiative will allow web developers to build a standard set of applications that will work across these sites.
The OpenSocial technology will also allow user data and friend lists to pass more freely between sites. This could prove a more attractive proposition for both advertisers and web developers looking to reach a wider audience.
The move comes five months after Facebook began allowing outside developers to build add-ons for the site, which users can choose to embed into their profiles.
News Corp-owned rival site MySpace followed suit in October. However, neither of these tailor-made applications work outside of the sites for which they were designed.
Meanwhile, Google has sent an email mailshot to Facebook application developers inviting them to take part in a beta test, which would allow developers to embed Google Adwords into their work.
Last week Microsoft invested $240 million (£117 million) in Facebook, putting a $15 billion value on the social networking website (see Media In The City: Microsoft Invests $240 million In Facebook).
A new report from independent market analyst Datamonitor suggests that global active memberships in social networking sites are to reach 230 million at the end of 2007.
The report, The Future of Social Networking: understanding market strategic and technological developments, says that infrastructure providers, social network providers and wireless players stand to profit largely in the near term (see Social Networking Site Memberships To Reach 230 Million).
Meanwhile, the site that essentially sparked the social networking phenomenon, Friends Reunited, is to get rid of its subscription model in an attempt to stop users migrating to the newer, free sites.
The ITV-owned website allows users to search for old school and university friends free, but charges £7.50 for a six-month membership that allows them to message other members.
The subscription accounts for the majority of the site’s revenues, while its rivals allow full access for free and fund their services through advertising.
ITV would not indicate whether the whole site would be made free to access, but confirmed it was looking making some others features free.
Google: 020 7031 3000 www.google.co.uk