ReveNews
CNET Anti-Spyware Conference- WhenU gets $20 Million from ABS
CNET has announced they are hosting a conference on the issue of spyware, anti-spyware and related ‘greyware’. (I think greynets might be a better term.)
The Antispyware Workshop, hosted by CNET Download.com, will provide an opportunity for the industry’s key players to come together for a day of active and open dialogue about the current and future state of antispyware. Held at CNET’s San Francisco offices on May 3rd, 2005, this full day workshop of relevant and timely sessions will ask and provide clarity to the tough questions: How are spyware and adware being defined and what are acceptable behaviors? Will legislation help regulate the industry? Is spyware okay as long as it’s disclosed to the user? Where’s the money? What is the future of antispyware?
I will be attending this conference and hope, time and resources permitting, to blog about the various panels. It was my understanding at the onset this conference was an anti-spyware conference but I find it interesting how many ‘adware’ companies will be on panels. I wonder if they took note of the Code of Conduct Summit?
Alex Eckelberry, a competitor I have a lot of respect for, observed an interesting twist on his company blog.
There’s a big CNET spyware conference next week in San Francisco, and I noticed one of the panelists is a general partner from ABS Capital. I was wondering why he was on the panel, as I saw no investments on their part in either the adware or antispyware space.
So this morning it became clear, ABS just put $20 mill into WhenU.
WhenU gets $20 million from ABS.
Ben Edelman also has extensive notes on who is pumping capital into adware companies as well as extensive research into companies like WhenU.
So why is ABS Capital injecting $20,000,000 into WhenU? My guess is that WhenU needs more operating capital and is perhaps planning on extending their service offerings. I would not be surprised to see them moving in the same direction of Claria- using their money to build a media network and diversying their business.
The Real Obstacles to Adware
Lately adware companies are talking about ‘cleaning up their act’ I have to wonder if investors pay any attention to history? I have seen some movement with companies moving in a better direction (e.g. labeling their pop-ups) but I wonder if they have …
Wayne:
You just took the words right our of my mouth. It’s time to put those desktops to use - using them to power ad presentation decisions across a network. How long before AOL wants something like this as part of their mix? Behavioral profiling should have happened back in the boom days and is long over-due.
By the time DoubleClick and all of the others catch up will the ContextWebs and Clarias of the world have already captured the market? Heck, Claria and perhaps now WhenU could easily license their profile database to 24/7, DCLK, Accipiter, etc.
I think these kinds of events - more than anything - signal the end of adware as a serious, long-term business play.
Hello, 180Solutions?
Digital War- Latest from Spyware Researchers
As the CNET Spyware conference approaches experts are cranking up their research and eyes continue to open as we see not only basement operations but publicly traded companies in the cross-fire. I have brought together the latest information for all th…