RIM's attempt at Social Networking: Will it taste success

RIM’s attempt at Social Networking is profiled here. However, there are natural and relevant doubts on the efficacy of the idea RIM through the social Media..

Research in Motion is about to launch a new social network for its BlackBerry App World store. The new site is called MyBlackBerry and it will allow device owners to create a social profile where they can share opinions and recommendations for their favorite applications and accessories, the story said. Users will also be able to share tips and tricks for using their devices.
The new site will look more like a user group bulletin board than a true social networking site. The site will be personalized so that people can connect with others using the same device they have. For example, someone with a BlackBerry Storm will be able to chat or share information with others using the Storm.

The new social network site comes as RIM struggles to gain attention for its App World store. Unlike the iPhone App Store, which has more than 50,000 applications and has had millions of downloads, the BlackBerry App World store, which launched in March, only has about 2,000 applications.

The success of social networking through Blackberry handsets doesnot sound to be a winning proposition in face of giants such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace with dedicated widsets sitting on other smartphones. The website may at best become a Blackberry users P2P platform. That may not however satisfy the need of Blackberry to keep itself relevant in the age of social networking.

Microsoft: Music for free/Download to own service

Starting end of July, Microsoft will offer users the chance to stream music for free and also download to own. Music is an important area for Microsoft and they are looking at launching a music streaming service imminently (also from a view to bolster the appeal of Microsoft Zune). This music streaming service is similar in principle to Spotify.

Users can stream music for free in exchange for listening to around a minute of advertising every half hour but for £9.99 a month, the ads will be turned off. It is thought Microsoft’s offering will be ad-supported too as well as having a paid-for premium service.
Microsoft is looking at how other similar businesses have structured their business models and trying to figure out what will work best for both consumer and Microsoft. The service would be operated and owned by Microsoft, while being promoted through MSN and other parts of the Microsoft network.
The service could be tied in with Microsoft’s Xbox gaming console, though the details of how a partnership would work have not been drawn yet. The addition of a Microsoft-owned music streaming service would tie in with an increasingly consumer focussed strategy from company to make its Xbox 360 console the main “entertainment hub” in the family home. Users are already able to download movies through their console and play games against one another online.
In an increasingly competitive marketplace, Microsoft can bring “scale and a quality of product” to the music streaming scene. The knowledge of the music industry the company had gleaned via Zune and also the player’s technology, had all been incorporated into the service’s development process. Microsoft recently announced it would launch a high definition version of its music player: Zune , but it will only be available in the United States. Microsoft is in talks to identify download partner for its music streaming service.