Microsoft social-networking licensee on the rocks?
High-profile Microsoft-technology licensee Wallop may be calling it quits, at least on the social-networking-platform side of its business.
In 2006, Wallop licensed Microsoft's Wallop social-networking technology. As reported by TechCrunch on September 15, Wallop seems to be closing its social-networking site.
The Wallop site is currently featuring the following note:
"Dear Wallop.com Member,
"Thank you for being part of the Wallop beta social networking site. We really appreciate your feedback and support. The beta period will end on September 18th, 2008 – after that date you will no longer be able to access your account.
"Please check out our apps Cool Cards and Party On! On Facebook.
"Thanks again, "The Wallop.com Team"
Microsoft's Wallop social-networking asset, developed by Microsoft Research, was one of a handful of technologies Redmond has been licensing to third-party firms under the auspices of its IP Ventures unit. Wallop (the company) was expected to try to turn Wallop (the Microsoft-developed technology) into the next MySpace or Friendster.
(I sent the Wallop folks an email requesting additional details on the company's future plans. My e-mail was returned as undeliverable. I tried calling but the voice mailbox system was full and I was unable to leave a message.)
Wallop isn't the only social-networking deliverable Microsoft has created. The company has been dabbling in wikis, social bookmarking, instant-messaging and even a FriendFeed-like platform, codenamed C2.