Yahoo Plans to Expand Upgraded Email in Asia, Europe -- Nobody is excited
Yahoo in December started upgrading its popular Web-based email with social networking capabilities in the U.S.--making its email service a lot like Facebook, an online social networking site.
It has also rolled out social features in other markets including Australia, the U.K., Brazil and Mexico.
Among a host of changes to its online services, Yahoo said its main mail home page will feature updates on what contacts in an address book are sharing about themselves online, including status updates, photos and birthdays.
I don't blame Yahoo to try to leverage on their Yahoo Mail product -- after all they are still the biggest in web mail business in terms of users. However, I doubt that this new strategy will work. Social networking is not just about the technology, it's also about where your friends hang out. Facebook and Twitter have all the growth now because that's where people go to. People actually spend time there. Yes, people do move if something better and more exciting comes along (e.g. Friendster to Myspace to Facebook). But Yahoo is not introducing anything particularly exciting or innovative here. Innovation is something Yahoo has not shown in a long time.
