Many people have seen
Isabel and I
debate the pros and cons of SaaS and Web 2.0 technology.
While by and large I talk about potential liability issues stemming from the sale and use of this technology, there is a certain curmudgeonly aspect to my side of the debate:
I’m simply not a convert.
In spite of all the fabulousness that this technology promises, I still remain skeptical.
In my mind, Web 2.0 in particular, conjures up the ghosts of 2001.
In thinking about this, I wonder are
Shopster, and
twitter the next
riot-e?
Admittedly, I’m not a business guru, but the only business application I can think of for twitter is for police departments to use it to keep an eye on individuals wearing monitoring anklets.
I can see the “mash up” now:
the
LAPD sells twitter feeds of celebrity monitoring anklets to the
National Enquirer so that they can buy some new patrol cars.
However, in the spirit of open-mindedness, I’ve decided to go to the Office 2.0 conference to see if the time is right for this new technology. The Office 2.0 conference is “aimed at discovering the future of online productivity & collaboration.” For me, this seems to be the best shot SaaS and Web 2.0 technologies have at true acceptance and profitability. Rather than be an armchair CEO, I’m going to approach my participation in the conference in the same way I approach my debates with Isabel: how have the companies that market these new technologies addressed real world legal issues? I plan on blogging from the event to see which companies, and speakers, discuss the following issues:
Is there a contract that customers can rely on (as opposed to "beta" products)?
What kind of support does the company provide?
Are intellectual property rights allocated appropriately?
Have privacy and data distribution issues been addressed?
In subsequent entries I'll discuss why I think each of these points is a valid legal issue. Next week I'll blog from the conference itself. We'll see if Isabel is right. Let the wagering begin.
Now I can do it all for very little and i only pay for what i sell. This is very very important because it means i can compete by being good at selling, not because i have enough money to compete or live close by.
Some very smart man in Delhi can now compete with a store in New York, for a customer in New York. Shopster makes it possible for ecommerce to be global, not just for global companies to compete.
I agree with your views about flattening of global e-commerce. In addition to a Delhi based store owner being able to compete with a New York based store owner, a Delhi based manufacturer could leverage the distributed network of store owners to gain instant access to global markets.
I am with a company called Bravisa (www.bravisa.com), which is in a similar space as Shopster but is completely free. Our goal is to bring the benefits of personal online retailing to everyone for free.
Please try Bravisa and let me know what you think.
Thanks!
-Balaji.