Singapore based VelvetPuffin is launching a mobile/desktop social networking platform today. The new product consists of a profile site, desktop IM client, and mobile client synchronized by their parent company’s (Radix) server side software. The motivation behind the project was to create a consistent experience across these three common social mediums missing from the mobile browser versions of a lot of the other social networking services.
Together, the two clients let you stay continuously connected to the social network, chatting, or sharing photos and video between the mobile and desktop clients instantly. The two clients also connect to the Yahoo!, AOL, and MSN IM networks, but provides enhanced content for VelvetPuffin members. Members clients include photo and video galleries, blog, and polling widgets. When content is added to your profile, it pushes notifications to your VelvetPuffin friends, and also to the website if the content is public. Apart from VelvetPuffin videos and photos, users can also find and view Flickr photos, and YouTube, Google, and MetaCafe videos on their website or phone.
While I find an “always on” social network compelling, the major drawback of VelvetPuffin is their two required downloads (desktop and mobile), a tough sell for consumers now accustomed to website based applications. I don’t think that a superior mobile experience will be enough to get users to jump on board en masse.
A lot of companies have been trying to crack open the mobile sector in the US, and for good reason, there are over 2.6 billion mobile subscribers worldwide. SK Telecom’s Helio has been throwing cash at the problem ($440 million) for the past year and hopes to make it to 100K subscribers by the second quarter this year (in a conspicuously missing press release they hope to be at 3.3 million by 2009). That’s with MySpace integration. Amp’d Mobile, with it’s $260 million financing and 100K subscribers, has been slugging away at the mobile social networking problem along with Boost’s Loopt friend locator. Amp’d launched in December of 2005. Boost launched it’s friend locator last September, with their last report boasting an impressive 100K of Boost’s over 3 million subscribers. VelvetPuffin has $10 million in financing, but is also rumored to have some upcoming carrier deals.
Interesting… so many social networks around these days though. I’m just waiting for this silly web 2.0 bubble to pop and for businesses with real revenue and solid ideas to become the “in thing” again. More on my blog: http://www.harpzon.com
Sorry, but I can’t stand trying to browse the web on a mobile device to start with. Now they want me to use a social network with those tiny buttons?
Plus, requiring people to download software simply isn’t going to work.
Yeah, the software is a non-starter for me, although IM clients seem to make it OK. As usual, I think the name isn’t much help either.
I can use GMail on my phone, but that’s pretty much the end of what’s worth using it for, even with 320×240. So i don’t think the mobile part’s going to catch me.
It all seems slightly weird, and I do use MySpace, but really what for? I mean, just send me an email and not some link to read an email in MySpace’s ridiculously bad interface. So other than the fun of comments, I may just not get the entire social thing to begin with.
I think they’ll have some success with mobiles in Asia, but they’ll see only limited success in the US (2 downloads is a high bar).
I am sure that they would have been able to find a better name then velvet puffin, unless there is some hidden meaning that i dont understand.
having to download the program makes them stick out like a sore thumb – in this web app world
but that’s not to say it isn’t worth the download, remains to be seen – but doesn’t look too rosy
as for the co. name – velvetpuffin?
wtf, to say the least
velvet puffin is a bird indigenous to Singapore famous for its pelt which can be used as a substitute for velour.
Interesting to see that many tech bloggers say that downloads are dead and that people are used to web 2.0 software. IMO this is not really the case. Do you have figures to prove that people hardly download anything anymore?
I think it is a false assumption that people don’t download software anymore. See for example Skype. I use web 2.0 a lot but I still prefer desktop applications and in the end I don’t use most web 2.0 applications anymore.
Consumers probably use a lot of webapps but enterprises not reallty I guess.
@7. yongfook
Unless VelvetPuffin only intends to market to Singaporeans that justification for a name is equivalent to a company calling itself Hajikamaji because it is named after five legged horse famous in Timbuktu.
Getting traction in social networks is very tough. I mean really how many more do ww really need? Mobility is a very complex ballgame. In the US, handsets are expensive and obsolete. Add that to the fact that there is little portabilyt of handsets between carriers and you see the tough road ahead.
That being said I don’t think that the downloads will be a big deal. The problem with download is the name its self. It is associated with virus. If you ask the average person to text 555 and get a free Ringtone they will most likely do it if they like the song. Ask them to download it and it becomes something else.
When reading the posts on TC we have to understand that what this audience knows 90 prepb of the rest of the people won’t know for a while. They might know about myspace but they have no idea what technologies are under the hood.
About boost and the other telco 100k is pretty wack. They need to stop spending all that money and invest it in secesl small mobile startups. They will have a better chance.
Someone is going to figure this whole thing out soon. Someone will soon see that average users don’t care for what it is but what it does for them right away without hassle.
Let me get this straight. They allow you to view videos from youtube, metacafe, etc from your phone? Is it through a phone app? And does the app transcode the content to 3gp? How many phone models do they support?
I think they should put an explination on their site instead of havign so many pretty pictures. Their website looks nice but i am trying to figure out what they are the web for an absolutely no explination. Terrible
The web site could use some better colors. The prevailing gray color throughout the site isn’t very nice looking; makes it look boring and stagnant. Also, I don’t like their domain name. It’s too long for a Web 2.0 site/company.
Why doesn’t every site have a desktop client (google does). Or maybe better yet, there should be a generic desktop application that allows users to add their sites into it. It could have direct content, or allow for contacting other members on the site.
@14
Jeremy, the generic desktop app you’re referring to is Adobe’s Apollo.
Americans don’t get mobile; Asians do.
Velvet Puffin – smells like something hot (as in burning with smoke)
At first sight, it’d seem insane to move in the opposite direction of getting pple to download desktop apps rather than going web-based. Honestly, there’s no way I’d download more than one IM client to clog up my desktop. Therein lies the opportunity for velvetpuffin – To become the ONLY IM client that anyone would download. i.e. displacing MSN or AIM messengers. Integrating with existing IM services is just the beginning (gaim, trillian already does that). A new desktop client has to justify its existence by providing rich services that web-based apps like Meebo can’t provide and which also surpasses existing IM clients in terms of aggregating content to be viewed within the application itself. I’d rather watch a video clip within the app rather than be directed to a link on MSN’s page.
Social networking on IM could very well be velvet’s killer app. But before that, get the IM basics right – and I meant basic features like group chat, voice chat etc.. Currently, I don’t see myself removing MSN. And my only-one-IM-client-on-my-laptop rule still stands..guess what goes?
Coool! I like the website. It’s kind of classy and mysterious with proper color.
The name”velevetpuffin” is too long.
Hey Puffin Muffins, the website looks great. The software is probably good too. But the issue at hand is:
1) My IM client works fine. Auto logs me in, free phonecalls etc..
2) You Tube works fine too.
3) I tried to download the mobile client, but really, I don’t feel like installing any strange apps on my Windows Mobile. I’d rather wait for Flash to go mobile or a better mobile browser….
4) If you have a version of puffin that works on mobile IE, I’d be happy to try it out….
Cheers.
seems pretty neat .. what more could you ask for..
sleek and edgy… i’m downloading now..
please allow youtube to our computer
we have no youtube