Plaxo Acquired by Google for a Cool $200M?
What’s $200 Million to Google? A mere drop in the bucket we suppose, but possibly also the amount of cash the internet giant will fork over in a deal to acquire Plaxo. What started as a terribly annoying online contact management site, Plaxo is a service that quickly gained recognition for all the wrong reasons. Remember? One of your contacts signed up for the free service and you then proceeded to get spammed for weeks or even months with invitation requests. Since then, Plaxo has become an odd amalgamation of a social network, aggrigator and contact management solution. You know, one of the many "Web 2.0" services you’ve signed up for but might not really use. Apparently Google sees some value in Plaxo however, or at least that’s how the rumor goes. Plaxo supposedly was discovered to have recently hired a bank to broker a sale, and Wired reports that their sources point to Google as the purchaser. Apparently the deal has been accepted by Plaxo, but another report from Valleywag states that Comcast could actually be the company shelling out the cash for Plaxo. Either scenario does have some ties to back it up; Plaxo already handles some Comcast services, and several Plaxo board members came over from Google. Nothing has been confirmed by Plaxo, Google or Comcast at this point.
I hate that company, i make sure that the spam filter catches all their auto emails. I understand automating contacts but there has to be a better way. I hope Google can solve their many many flaws.
Permalink | Reply
I love plaxo.
I use Plaxo to sync my contacts and calendar from my work computer with my home computer + use the calendar sync to
1)sync outlook with google calendar and 2) sync google calendar blackberry aplication with my blackberry. => all typed in outlook auto into my BB and vice verse. (Like a server without having one).
Plus always have full addresses of my friends. Even pay for the pro service for the bday cards.
Again, love it.
Permalink | Reply
I’m with Tom. Plaxo is a very useful tool for syncing multiple contact databases. Plus you decide which of your contacts do or do not get “spammed”. My contacts don’t get Plaxo emails from me.
Permalink | Reply
well that would be fine if more people turned it off like you do.
But there was a time where I would get 20-30 plaxo messages per week asking if someone’s info was correct and if I wanted to join. just annoying.
Permalink | Reply
Not a fan of Plaxo. The reality is, if I have my BB, then why would I need it stored all over the place when most BB users carry their BB all over the place? My BB and outlook is good enough for me. But that’s just my opinion.
ps - and if someone is going to say you can load your contacts from the web onto a new system, well, I can do the same when I install the BB client, or import my pst file. Keeping 3, 4, or 5 locations up to date and synced is just insane.
Permalink | Reply
Was early on board with Plaxo.
But Plaxo 3 beta doesn’t work.
Plaxo used to actually sync my 2 computers. Now it holds a dbase for each one and neither sync on demand. Sometimes, though, Plaxo will sync on its own.
Either way. My contacts base is now so screwed up that I am going to have to dump plaxo and manually sort through my 1900+ contacts.
Permalink | Reply