VOIP Too Complicated for Prime Time?

April 11, 2007

VOIP Too Complicated for Prime Time?
PC World – Apr 10, 2007
PC-based VoIP services like Skype and Google Talk are just too complicated to really make it with the non-geek crowd. That's the gist of a new research report from Forrester Research, anyway.
Forrester analyst Zayera Khan says most European VoIPers use IM-based services (also called VoIM) to make VoIP calls. So the Forrester report takes a look at the top five VoIM services in Europe--Google Talk, ICQ, Microsoft MSN Messenger, Skype, and Yahoo! Messenger.

VoIP too complicated for mass markets
iT News, Australia - Apr 10, 2007
In a survey of VoIP users, a Forrester Research analyst has found the low-cost calling technology to be too complicated to appeal to mass-market users.
Forrester's Zayera Khan found voice-over-IP navigation systems generally to be a problem with users who are bewildered by a plethora of icons, buttons, rollovers, and navigation features. Khan cited the lack of clear keyword search capability as another problem.

AOL Expands Search Ads
PC World - Apr 9, 2007

Businesses interested in advertising on AOL LLC's Web search engine will now be able to do it, thanks to an agreement between the Time Warner Inc. subsidiary and Google Inc.
AOL's Web search engine has for years displayed ads from Google's AdWords network. But until now, AOL couldn't directly offer its advertisers ad space on its search engine site.

AOL to offer ads on its search
InfoWorld, CA - Apr 9, 2007

Businesses interested in advertising on AOL's Web search engine will now be able to do it, thanks to an agreement between the Time Warner subsidiary and Google.
Businesses interested in advertising on AOL's Web search engine will now be able to do it, thanks to an agreement between the Time Warner subsidiary and Google.

Online users turning to social networking sites for help with buying decisions
Computerworld, MA – Apr 10, 2007

Social networking sites like MySpace and YouTube have become target Internet destinations for a growing number of adults looking for help in making for purchasing decisions, according to a report released today.

The iProspect Social Networking User Behavior Study, which was funded by search engine marketing firm iProspect and carried out by JupiterResearch, found that one in four adult Internet users regularly visited the most popular social networking sites in the past year. The survey defined a social networking site as one that contains user-generated feedback.


Viacom Enters Web Search Deal with Yahoo
eWeek, MA – Apr 10, 2007

Media conglomerate Viacom Inc. said on Tuesday that it had chosen Yahoo Inc. to provide search advertising for 33 of its Internet sites in a major boost to Yahoo's new Web ad system

Yahoo to serve ads to Viacom sites
ITworld.com, MA – Apr 10, 2007

Yahoo Inc.'s new search marketing system continues to gain momentum with an announcement that Viacom Inc. plans to use the system on all of its 33 Web sites.
Yahoo will be the exclusive provider of sponsored search and contextual ads for the sites which include MTV.com, VH1.com, Nickelodeon.com, Comedycentral.com, BET.com and others. The multiyear deal could be expanded to over 140 additional Viacom Web sites around the world, the companies said.