Edgeio releasing new features!
You know the advertising but don't realize you've seen it. Edgeio always shows up on TechCrunch. Trust me, go take a look and you'll realize you've seen it and maybe even wondered what they do. Their product is pretty simple, allowing you to search classifieds. I think it's really cool and I love simple. They have taken it a step further and are launching new functionality which allows for monetization. Keith Teare, whom I've had the pleasure of meeting at an OpenCoffee event and have stayed in touch with is the brains behind this operation. He gave me the scoop on this (to be released today) so I thought I'd let you all in on it. At the same time, I'd probably totally screw it up so here's what Keith has to say literally:
We are introducing a new form of classified - transactional classifieds. Think of it as a classified ad where the steps to buying the product or service advertised are reduced to a single "in-place" purchase flow. These transactional classifieds are entirely distributable via "share this" buttons. The first target is paid digital content - although in the future a transactional classified could be used to capture contact details in return for releasing details of physical products or services.Use case 1:1. Om Malik writes a research piece once a month, charges $9.95 to his readers for purchasing it. The reader experience would be to see a regular post on his blog but the post would carry a digital payload, with a buy this for $9.95 button . A reader who clicks to buy is taken through an in-place purchase. In front of their eyes, upon completion of purchase, Om's post turns into the full length piece of research. it can be read in place or downloaded. On "My edgeo" all paid content is made available for later viewing. Om is paid $9.95 minus edgeio's share - typically 20% but could be more depending on the details. Any reader can click "share this" if Om has enabled it, and can become a downstream point of sale for the research, earning whatever affiliate fee Om has defined.The system works for Video, audio, files for download, text for in-place reading or any combination.Use case 2:Thomson Financial has many company earnings transcripts behind a subscription wall. Along with other subscription or even pay-per view services Thomson requires the reader go to the content in order to consume it. Now, Thomson can submit all earnings transcripts to edgeio and edgeio can make them available to publishers. Any publisher who writes about company earnings can now embed a transcript and take payment. The publisher will be paid the appropriate share (determined by Thomson) and Thomson will receive their share. Again, any reader can become a downstream affiliate if Thomson - in this case - has enabled it.Use case 3:EMI release the Beatles White Album as MP3. they submit it to edgeio (just metadata not the files) and embed pricing and rev share data. Any Beatles fan can write about the new release and become an in-place point of sale for the songs. Fans can sell to fans - under the control of the rights owner, with edgeio as an intermediary.Chris Pirillo will launch the product, Friday, by enabling the sale of all of LockerGnome's ebooks using the service. All attendees at the Gnomedex conference will get a free 2 gig flash drive and a coupon code, to enable them to download and save the ebooks. The coupons will geive them 100% discount. This is a feature open to all content creators. Effectively this will make any digital content available to any publisher who wishes to become a point of sale, so long as the publisher chooses to use edgeio. It also allows any publisher to produce their own "for-sale" content. We have a wiki with more at http://wiki.edgeio.com/display/demo; login and password are both "edgeio". You may be prompted for it several times because this is on our dev servers until Friday. On the bottom of the page are some demo's. Note the need to reset the demo before beginning it.
