RE: UKNM: Subscriptions

[Bunder, Leslie]

Let focus this to the UK and also lets focus by what we mean as

information and indeed the way we price information...


There are two areas for information.  There is business to business and

there is consumer.  We need to understand that there are differences in

these two markets and indeed in the way information is priced.


Businesses don't always want to get limited free information that may

suit a consumer  for basic needs, they understand and know that

information is valuable and there is a price attached to it.


Indeed, also consumers realise that free information is not always able

to deliver what they want.


The other issue is how we price information.  You may be a subscriber to

a share dealing service and pay an annual fee or pay per deal.  In turn

for you dealing with that sharedealing service will be granted access to

content that non-subscribers don't have access to.


You see, the way in which we price information is also in the way we

package it and offer it to people and businesses.  We can make it

"inclusive" within some deal.  For example, you might buy a CD from a

music site and then buying that CD entitles you to some exclusive

content you can't get elsewhere.


I don't think the issue is about "free" information or content it is

about the way content is packaged and the way people percieve it.


You ask what information is not going to come down in price.  I can't

guarantee predictions, but from what I can see, good quality databases

will not come down in price.  Quality databases and content can only

stay that way if they are able to cover costs and make money to invest

in making the product better.  


Leslie


Leslie Bunder 

Project Manager,  TDL InfoSpace

e-mail:

Leslie [dot] Bunderinfospaceuk [dot] com

 (work) or

lesliebunder [dot] com

 (home)

Web:  www.infospace.co.uk

tel: 01252 390516 (UK)   +44 1252 390516 (outside UK)

mobile: 07010 701967 (UK)  or +44 7010 701967 (outside UK)

Thomson House, 296 Farnborough Road, Hants, GU14 7NU


>----------

>

From: Clay Shirky[SMTP:clayshirky [dot] com]

>Sent: 	15 June 1999 16:09

>To: 	Bunder, Leslie

>

Cc: uk-netmarketingchinwag [dot] com; clayshirky [dot] com

>Subject: 	Re: UKNM: Subscriptions

>

>> But not all information and content will be cheap and not all

>> information will come down in price. 

>

>OK. What information is not going to come down in price?

>

>> Information and content if it can be sold at a premium will be sold at a

>> premium.  Just look at the various premium rate phone lines for horse

>> racing, greyhounds, dating, horoscopes etc.  

>

>...and look at all the free sites offering the same services which

>make their money off ads and affiliate revenues. Do you really think

>match.com and astrology.com haven't reduced the price of that

>information? 

>

>> This information is sold at a Premium and there is no reason why

>> information on the Web cannot be sold at a Premium.

>

>Leslie, no one's saying it can't be sold at a premium. What we're

>saying is that its a smaller premium than it used to be.

>

>> The way I look at it, is that you have "lite" information which is just

>> the basics and then if someone wants more then they can pay for it.

>

>This is the way the NY Times looked at it too, and Slate, and Gemstone

>Games, and TEN, et al, and they were all wrong.

>

>> Give them a taster or teaser and then let them have more - at a price!

>

>...and drive yourself out of business in the process.

>

>-clay

> 

********************

UKNM is sponsored by Excite UK, visit us at http://www.excite.co.uk.

Email Khalil Ibrahimi

khalilexcitecorp [dot] com (mailto:khalilexcitecorp [dot] com)

 to advertise on Excite.

********************

Change your UKNM subscription use http://www.chinwag.com/uknm.html