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Surprises

by Mike Masnick

Tue, Feb 28th 2006 5:40pm





SCO Goes Amway?

from the they-did-what? dept

Last fall, through complete random luck of the draw at the DEMOfall conference, I ended up sitting next to Tim Negris, recently hired by SCO to help turn the company into being perceived as more than a laughingstock and a lawsuit. At the time, we noted that it appeared SCO's strategy was to leave the lawsuit to run its course while totally reinventing itself as Me Inc., a provider of a mobile applications and service platform. The actual platform didn't seem that innovative (especially in a competitive market), but at least it seemed like an actual product that had more promise than anything else the company was working on. After that event though, there's been an awful lot of silence. However, Slashdot points to the latest marketing effort for the product, which they're referring to as the EdgeClick platform -- but which still isn't that well explained. It sounds like it's just a basic services and applications platform for mobile offerings -- but it's not clear what advantage it has over others in the market. The number of buzzwords in the press release really is quite stunning. Whole paragraphs seem to have absolutely nothing of substance and could probably be summed up in a word or two. Halfway through the press release, they toss in a gem, with the Me Inc. Sales Agent Program. After you cut through the buzzwords and translate it all back to basic English, it sounds like a referral program -- meaning you can now expect people pushing you to use SCO's platform so they can get paid the "lucrative recurring commissions" promised. Just what people have always wanted. Update: And, like clockwork, SCO has another setback in court.

7 Comments | Leave a Comment

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  1.  
    identicon
    Adam W, Feb 28th, 2006 @ 6:05pm

    No Subject Given

    So is their business model going to be Amway, or 180solutions.com...?

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  2.  
    identicon
    Rick, Feb 28th, 2006 @ 8:48pm

    Re: No Subject Given

    Did they outsource their web dev to India or something?
    The form is pre filled out with "Country: India"
    https://www.edgeclickpark.com/meinc/app?page=SignupForm&service=page

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  3.  
    identicon
    snark, Feb 28th, 2006 @ 10:01pm

    Wow, that press release is...

    the biggest load of meaningless BS gobbledygook filler intending to masquerade as wisdom since... whenever the last time Carly Fiorina spoke in public.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  4.  
    identicon
    Shoal Creek, Mar 1st, 2006 @ 9:23am

    It makes sense...

    They probably look around at all the other Utah County (county where Lindon, UT, is located) businesses that are making money off of their own distributors and see that as a viable business model. With things like NuSkin International also based in Utah County, why would they not try that model? Also, everyone that lives in Utah County personally knows at least one Amway/Quixtar distributor. I just wish that the government would finally realize that any business that sells more motivational materials to its distributors than it sells actual products through distributors is a scam and prosecute them for fraud and get so many of these people off of the cult mentality that is required to buy into such a guaranteed money loser.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  5.  
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Mar 1st, 2006 @ 9:55am

    Re: No Subject Given

    Looks like the model is Patent Trolling.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  6.  
    identicon
    giafly, Mar 1st, 2006 @ 11:09am

    SCO's first choice was "Pay Me Inc"

    but it's already used by a record label.

    I wonder how the lawyers of Just Like Me, Inc, or Bill Me, Inc, or It's Greek To Me Inc feel?

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  7.  
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Mar 7th, 2006 @ 8:48pm

    Re: No Subject Given

    The might name it "Scamway"

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]


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