OpenSocial is gaining some steam. In addition to Yahoo deciding to join the effort, hi5 is going to actually launch its developer platform based on OpenSocial on March 31. The big draw for developers will be to expand their reach globally. Hi5 is the third-largest social network in the world with 38 million unique monthly visitors. While both MySpace and Facebook each boast more than 100 million unique users per month (all numbers are from comScore), Hi5 reaches some different markets. It is especially strong in Mexico and Latin America, Portugal, and Thailand. As an incentive for Web developers to create apps for hi5, CEO Ramu Yalamanchi says:
For the first 100 apps, we are going to provide free hosting and translate them.
As with Facebook apps, developers will be able to place their own ads on the “canvas’ page that hosts the app. And they will be able to tap into the notifications, invites, messages, and friend updates on hi5 to try to make their app go viral.
By adopting OpenSocial, hi5 is hoping to make it it easy for developers to port their apps to or from other OpenSocial Websites (which will include MySpace, Bebo, Friendster, LinkedIn, Ning, Six Apart, and many others). Of course, OpenSocial has to get through its growing pains first. Yalamanchi notes:
The development of OpenSocial may have initially looked a little messy, but it is evolving to a point where there is a solid foundation.
To get things going, hi5 is hosting two simultaneous hackathons on March 15. One will be at the Googleplex in California, and the other will be at a university in Mexico. For more details on the hi5 platform, developers can go here.
This was expected. I had told in the Yahoo API as well … that many companies will start going the same way…
I am planning to include the same thing for my website http://www.worlditday.com.
Send me your comments at support@worlditday.com
And yes dont forget to vote for your choice of World IT Day.
Hi5.. globally.. sans China presence?
Are there any ‘good’ OpenSocial apps out there yet? I have yet to see much of anything built on OpenSocial yet ….
Indeed, this is true because future trend is definitely going this way. Start early to get a niche of the pie.
Huh, not that global. How to bring the bottom the pyramid to web 2.0. But don’t worry – Africans will create a new web 2.0 – African style and make the money themselves. Here a few stories how they are doing that. http://angryafr...-african-style/
Yes Hi5 is the second biggest social network in Mexico. MySpace win but not by a long margin since Hi5 is now being used by a larger demography.
And thanks for making the differentiation of Mexico and Latin America in your post.
heh…..I always though hi5 was nothing more than a huge spamming engine.
I’m sure I’m not the only one that has “hi5″ blacklisted on all my email accounts. I would never even think about trying such a service.
@Matt, not that different from Facebook… which honestly, I think is overrated/hyped . In my opinion it is this popular due to becaming more well known by US University students than Orkut or Hi5.
The only social network (a bit similar to facebook, hi5, orkut, to some extent at least) I find really worthwhile is LinkedIn.
Facebook’s UI and information display is not that good, (and not wanting to get back there)… the activity feed is simply unappealing and confusing, to me at least.
hola bueno mi comentarios es bueno repesto ahi5 pero tengo graves problemas con mi hi5 es que undia no puedo dejar comentarios otro que bajan los amigo ahi dias que cuesta mucho que la pagina se abra y eso de que no me llegan los mensajes ami hotmail ,ya vecesno ahi como entender el hi5 bueno gracias espero sus respuesta………………………
exelente.ok.