The news of Baidu's recruitment and talent planning has drawn great attention in the Internet industry. In fact, as early as last year, there were rumors on the Internet that Baidu was developing its own instant messaging software - Baidu Loud Voice. At that time, Baidu clarified that it was a netizen's joke. However, this talent hunting plan should be set in stone. Looking back to the beginning of the year, Wang Zhixi re-emerged, wanting to make a comeback. After two years, there hasn't been much progress. Its official website is now ranked beyond ten thousand. Although press releases claim over ten million users, the actual number of users is much less.
Referring to the ranking: #My own blog at the time: Not seeing good prospects for the future#, the news source is: #Therefore, people wonder if Baidu still has opportunities. Regarding Baidu's competitors such as Tencent's QQ, Microsoft's MSN, Sina UC, Taobao Wangwang, and China Mobile's Fetion etc., detailed estimates show that Taobao Wangwang, Sina UC, and QQ should be ignored. Although Taobao Wangwang has a certain market share, its professionalism determines its scope of use and fate. Moreover, although China Mobile's Fetion is a product of China Mobile, relying on mobile phone users, it has imaginative prospects. However, due to China Mobile's lack of strong power in the Internet, even if they acquire Sina UC to expand, it does not seem very optimistic. Therefore, China Mobile's Fetion is also excluded.
The most intense competition will come from Tencent's QQ, Microsoft's MSN, and #. Currently, QQ has the highest market share, far ahead of others. It would be unrealistic for Baidu's instant messaging software to surpass Tencent in a short period of time. Although MSN has the second highest market share, its position is not very stable. Baidu can surpass it, but competing with Microsoft still requires a certain amount of strength, given that the operating system market share is relatively first. The reason why # can be compared with Baidu is not because of its market share, but because of its platform. After all, both # and Baidu are companies that started with search engines, and their entry into the instant messaging software industry has little personality.
Speculation: After being online for more than a year, it might be surpassed by Baidu. The basis for speculation is that users who use Baidu will not completely abandon it in a short period of time (one or two years), because the opportunity cost of abandoning it is too high. The main reason Baidu could surpass it is its own shortcomings: slow speed, long downtime, many functions, making it feel too heavy and lacking changes. Another reason is that it has a low market share in foreign markets, and the characteristics of the software itself: too many features, fewer mass users.
Suggestions for Baidu's instant messaging software: Baidu's fame and traffic are very beneficial for promotion. If Baidu's instant messaging software contains more practical functions and can integrate Baidu products, it will attract more users. For example, registering for Baidu (predicted to lower requirements), after logging into the instant messaging software, you can not only monitor emails, send and receive messages, but also subscribe to Baidu news, know, and Tieba, write blogs, search, and collect search pages, similar to #. Baidu's instant messaging software should differ from QQ's entertainment type and MSN's business type. It should take its own practical route, which is where some instant messaging tools fall short. Baidu should actively achieve interoperability or dual communication with weaker instant messaging tools like # and #, which is crucial for a new entrant. Different versions can be launched simultaneously to serve different groups and capture multiple markets, though this requires more investment and effort.
Note: This article is reproduced with permission.
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