What an Internet marketing concept! Make the very best blogging software possible and then give it away to anyone who wants it, for free! That’s right, we’re talking about WordPress, again.
Sure it’s already been done by others. Mark Andreessen gave away Netscape. Microsoft gave away the Internet Explorer browser (cough!). There are others.
Currently, the team at Ubuntu are giving away one of the finest Linux Desktop and Server distributions we’ve ever seen. We like Ubuntu so much, that except for one Windows system in our office used for some legacy applications, everything else is running on Ubuntu Linux. It should be mentioned that plans are already in the works to turn this remaining machine into a Linux box, too and run Windows XP in a virtual environment using VMware.
Of course, this comment would not be complete without mentioning the latest buzz about our favorite blogging tool.
WordPress 2.3 was released today. The tireless and dedicated team that support the WordPress Blog system have once again combed through their code to make fixes and enhancements that will amaze you, inform your visitors, keep your stuff secure, increase productivity and keep you blogging. Although it is free to use like the other great stuff already mentioned, the primary reason we use it for our blog here at WebMarket West is that it is the best!
Published by mikej //
Dell has announced that it intends to offer Ubuntu 7.04 as its Linux desktop on new computers. In a February forum significant feedback indicated that customers wanted Linux on their desktop and notebook computers.
Dell’s response, a partnership with Canonical to offer Ubuntu on a variety of their new desktop and notebook products. According to Lionel Menchaca, Digital Media Manager, “This represents another step in the overall enhancement of our Linux program.”
Now the question is, if the rumors that Michael Dell has Ubuntu 7.04 running on his own new notebook are true, how does he like it?
Published by dj //
Sources at Microsoft Corporation said today that the Redmond, Washington based software giant will pay approximately 6 billion dollars to purchase the on-line advertising company aQuantive. Microsoft has continued to struggle in the on-line advertising market while competing against the mega-giant Google. With its AdWords and AdSense programs, Google currently dominates the lucrative Internet advertising field, a rapidly expanding Internet cash cow returning unprecedented profits reminiscent of the web’s pioneer days.
The deal comes as no surprise, occuring just after Google recently wrestled the purchase of DoubleClick away from Microsoft for a mere $3.1 billion. This was quickly followed by Yahoo’s recent buyout gambit for RightMedia and the 24/7 RealMedia purchase by advertising giant the WPP Group. Still, it’s Microsoft’s largest acquisition ever and the latest in a flurry of deals for on-line advertising firms by big Internet and media companies. According to Chris Dobson, head of global advertising sales at Microsoft, “If you ever had any doubt that Microsoft was going to be big in the on-line advertising space, this should make it clear that it will.”
Microsoft recently tried unsuccessfully to buy DoubleClick and after being outbid and outmaneuvered by Google for that acquisition, faced substantial competition for aQuantive, which explains the inflated price tag for the Seattle, Washington based ad company. Although Microsoft is paying around 10 times the estimated revenue for aQuantive in this latest round of leviathan deal making, it was obviously determined not to be outbid by arch-rival Google or anyone else this time. While Wall Street saw the price of Microsoft stock drop slightly, predictions that Internet ad spending will increase by approximately 28 percent this year to a total of $31 billion globally, indicate the potential for future growth in on-line advertising is strong and expected to expand.
Unfortunately, the result of all of the above mentioned activity, be it Microsoft’s or Yahoo’s or Google’s, will leave Internet advertisers and online marketers with fewer alternatives for themselves and their clients. It’s interesting to note that while history is being crafted in these monstrous deals, history is also being ignored or even worse, disregarded.
Shouldn’t we know by now that we’ve already been taught that true strength lies in diversity? Doesn’t anyone remember the dinosaurs? History teaches that once upon a time they were really big and they were really dominate, until one bad afternoon with an asteroid came crashing down and put them all on ice.
Stay tuned as Web 3.0, “The Only-Net” continues to evolve.
© 2007 DM Jackson - All rights reserved
Published by dj //
