988be7d50744595535b6…

To my knowledge, I can already use ZoomInfo by typing “www.zoominfo.com” into a separate browser.

Where’s the value?

I feel sorry for the Xing investors who are already being led to believe that their company now has 38 million users. Makes me begin to wonder whether their prior claim of 2 million users is even true.

The key to any good social or business networking website is the amount of activity happening on the network (connections, content being added, etc.). Simply collecting information that has been scraped from the Internet using harvesting software does not create value… and certainly doesn’t make for a business network.

Finally, can someone tell me… is the company pronounced “Zing” or “Crossing”.

In its press release XING states: “The partnership will provide XING’s 2 million-plus members with immediate access to profiles on nearly 36 million business people and 3.8 million companies directly on the XING platform.”

REALITY: Any web user has access to ZoomInfo, in my browser its just a tab away, so for the user the added value is rather limited.

XING states: “… XING premium members will have the ability to contact over 18 million professionals directly and securely.”

REALITY: Above it states twice as many: 36 million business people. The difference in “18 million business people” with no direct access probably derives from the fact that ZOOMINFO does not have accurate or complete enough information on the other half of its profiles. There are also many duplicates, despite having integrated my profile on ZOOMINFO last year I pop-up as 10 “business people”. The name “Lars Hinrichs” appears 12 times, at least two of them refer to the same “Lars Hinrichs” partnering with ZOOMINFO. Last but not least, as the profiles on ZoomInfo are search results and not member profiles, the whole issue of providing “access” is non regulated. In other words, the “access” is as good as access to anyone you “google”.

XING states: “According to Nielson/NetMetrics, ZoomInfo is the fastest growing network in the country”

REALITY: ZoomInfo is not a network as we understand XING, Ecademy, Viadeo, Soflow, Neurona, socialBusinessClub, Academici etc to be. It’s a specialist search service.

XING states: “XING members will also be able to manage their own online ‘brand reputation’ by monitoring their own web references to ensure accuracy and consistency.”

REALITY: Potential business partners or employers do not rely on ZoomInfo, LinkedIn or XING. What they want is information which is not “self monitored” and therefore are likely to “google” our names. Managing your own ‘brand reputation’ is an illusion running contrary to the principles of the other great buzz word: “Web2”.

XING states: “ZoomInfo’s 4.5 million unique monthly visitors will also be able to join XING’s business network directly with a simple two-click process.”

REALITY: We accept that people using the internet or Google are not necessarily interested in business networks. Well, that someone uses a people search does not mean they want to JOIN a network. If they want to their will find their way to: LinkedIn, XING, Ecademy, Viadeo, iKarma, Soflow, Neurona, socialbusinessclub.com, Academici.net or elsewhere.

XING states: “With the successful IPO of XING as the first Web 2.0 company to go public, OPEN Business Club AG has had a long-term impact on the social networking trend amongst professionals.”

REALITY: I am nagging just because I am jealous…;-)

Klaas Brumann

http://fotoinsight.co.uk/
http://fotoinsight.com/

Bravo to ZoomInfo for making a great product even better.

I think many XING members will be disappointed to pay $5.00 per month only to learn of the true number and quality (see Donald Duck appearing 100 times comment above)of contacts in the ZOOMINFO database.

Secondly, what is in the for ZOOMINFO again? They get paid if someone signs up for XING? Or a revenue share for convoluted ad sales on the side of ZOOM query results? I’d be pissed if I got marketed to to sign up for another business networking site.

To reinforce sentiments shared in one of the commentors blog; With a business social networking site like linkedin; the business professional only has the mental bandwidth for only so much. Between googling, email, networking through linked-in, etc. – at some point the sales rep, executive, recruiter, business development professional needs to make call, and do business. Do we really want to create, manage and network another social networking site? Linkedin has a superb site, has the first mover advantage here in the United States, and the organic, viral marketing growth that has successfully secured 11 million profiles with only a matter of time before professionals in other geographic markets become users.

Several parting thoughts;

“….announces partnership with ZoomInfo, the largest fact-checked proprietary database.” In reality, there is little to no fact checking…how can it when it is all automated. Was 100 instances of donald duck intentional?

I look forward to the day when in addition to modifying my ZoomInfo profile, I able to remove it all together. Maybe I can, and I just don’t know how. However, I do not remember providing permission to ZOOMINFO to have it (my profile) in there. I certainly don’t remember allowing someone to profit from allowing others to access it. Maybe I will be sent a 1/36 million stock certificate.

In addition to the real-time research capabilities that Broadlook applications enables it’s users to capture what is available for websites, press releases and even online directories, it is about the data and the time it saves to gather valuable company and contact information. We do not permit our clients, nor do we aggregate peoples information for purpose of resale or access. We provide tools and training on how they can rapidly gather public available information from the web for the own sales, marketing, or recruiting usage and to help improve the quality of their database or CRM.

As Reid mentioned in several instances, the profiles that are developed, updated, and linked are all user driven. So if someone upgrades to a level of service to email me directly, the so be it. “I asked to be in the game coach”.

Enough Ranting – I wish both companies luck. I don’t see “it” yet, but I am usually the last to anyway.