Re: UKNM: Re: Portals?

[Tim Hayward]

Some bright spark tries to sell me beeb.com on average once every three

days. Their numbers look splendid and I'm sure that if we still had

clients who were dim enough to believe numbers, that in itself would be

a compelling reason. But can we have a small sanity check here?

What beeb.com actually offers is bit of a 'bait and switch'. Their URL

must be one of the most highly publicised in the UK today and the BBC

is, very sensibly, attempting to leverage its ability to self publicise

into the NM. If they continue to piss away this opportunity by failing

to back it with anything other than 'LadTV Rechauffe' then they're truly

the dinosaur we always expected.


In short, though the numbers are nice, I can't see it sustaining it's

bruited position as a 'portal' - and if the beeb aren't doing it, who

is?


Ray Taylor wrote:

> 

> >>Leaders in 1999 are likely to be Beeb, TescoNet, ft.com, Reed Business

> >>Information (high-price niche industy info products), gameszone, and a few

> >>others.

> >

> >Like, you mean beeb.com? You sure?

> 

> Nothing is sure, and I certainly don't suggest taking my opinion into

> account. Work it out for youself...

> 

> Value is created by investment. BBC is investing in the product in a big way

> (not necessarily efficiently) and making good use of established capital

> assets in the form of brand names and intellectual property rights.

> 

> They are adding value to their TV and print offerings by way of original

> content as well are reuse and adaption of content. They are one of the most

> visited sites in the UK and already have extensive routes to world markets.

> 

> I didn't say I liked their site, I didn't say it was "kewl", I have no

> opinion on such mundane matters as the niceness of Web sites. I said the BBC

> would be one of the few market leaders in the UK based on an evaluation and

> business analysis of their current actions.

> 

> I ought to charge for this opinion since it is the kind of opinion I would

> charge for if asked for it by a consultancy client. But then again I have

> not given you the figures to back it up so feel free to treat my views with

> a pinch of salt.

> 

> >>This constant recycling of information that has characterised the early

> >>years of the Web will not survive 1999.

> >


> >Errm, I'd ask PA/Reuters et al what they think of that.

> 

> I imagine PA and Reuters are taking/planning defensive actions again

> competition for their business from (potential) lower-cost suppliers.

> Lower-cost because of the low-cost nature of the delivery mechanism now

> available (Internet). I would guess that they haven't entirely grasped the

> scale of the threat yet.

> 

> Ray Taylor

> Chief business analyst

> NMC Market Forces (a division of NMC (UK) Ltd).


-- 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately ascribed to

stupidity".


Tim Hayward

Digital Media Strategist

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