JupiterResearch Finds Half of Portals' Best Customers are Vulnerable

CGIDir
Wednesday, April 4, 2007; 05:53 AM

JupiterResearch, a leading authority on the impact of the Internet and emerging consumer technologies on business, has found that 55 percent of portals’ best customers – their heaviest users and the ones most likely to pay for services – might be swayed by an entertainment/communications combination offering like MySpace. In a new report, “21st Century Portals: Thriving in the Google-MySpace Era,” JupiterResearch analyzes the five catalyst trends that are shaking up the online portal industry.

“Right now, portals like Yahoo, AOL, and MSN dominate online usage and, together with Google, collect 55 percent of US online ad spending,” said David Card, Vice President and Senior Analyst at JupiterResearch. “For a long-tail market, the Internet is pretty concentrated at the head.”

Although portals often act as gateways to other companies’ content and services, their collection of hosted content and communications services targeted at general audiences produces the dominant media company model online.

“The emergence of social media and the dynamic changes in online advertising are the biggest potential game-changers,” said David Schatsky, President of JupiterKagan. “Next-generation portals built around communications and entertainment also offer promising opportunities.”

The complete findings of this report and recommendations are immediately available to JupiterResearch clients online at www.jupiterresearch.com. For details on JupiterResearch's methodology, visit www.jupiterresearch.com/bin/item.pl/methodology or email [email protected] to request a detailed methodology statement. For additional information on this report or JupiterResearch's Online Media & Programming research service, visit www.jupiterresearch.com or contact Kieran Kelly, Senior Vice President of Global Sales and Client Service, at 1-800-481-1212 or [email protected].

About JupiterResearch

JupiterResearch provides unbiased research, analysis and advice, backed by proprietary data, to help companies profit from the impact of the Internet and emerging consumer technologies on their business. The company helps online businesses make critical decisions about technology selection, spending, staffing, and Web site effectiveness; advises consumer-facing companies with online advertising, marketing, and customer service strategies to understand, attract, convert and retain customers; and guides technology vendors and service providers on market opportunity, positioning, product definition, and pricing. JupiterResearch is headquartered in New York City and has offices throughout the US and Europe. For more information, visit www.jupiterresearch.com. JupiterResearch is a division of JupiterKagan, Inc.