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WAYN – Will AOL Yes No?

Thursday, January 17th, 2008

I read last night about how WAYN (Where Are You Now) may be (may be) close to being sold to AOL for $USD 200 million (although WAYN deny it)

Now I have no particular amazing inside knowledge whether this is true or not, likely or not etc. Nor have I any idea whether this is a good price or not….. but sounds reasonable to me (100 million GBP) – if you look at what has sold at a slightly lower price…. this is probably in the right ball park.

However what strikes me is how it may be a good time for WAYN to convert from having a paper value to a real one. Dopplr is beginning to make some big PR moves and although they are miles away from WAYN in terms of user numbers, they look like opposition not to be underestimated – both have significant VC backing.

I wrote previously how this is looking like a battle between an incumbent website (WAYN) with a management team who understand about how to make money from selling advertising to the travel industry vs a much more web focussed company (Dopplr) who are instead of going to travel industry events – tend to be seen speaking at major web events – talking about widgets and data portability.

Here for example is Dopplr’s CTO talking at last autumn’s Future of Web Applications conference in London (I was there!)

 

The battle for the end game for travel vertical social networks hasn’t really started yet – and perhaps by working with an existing company (AOL) who want to get into social networking at any price – in a sector that can be monetised nicely – this will help keep WAYN ahead of Dopplr (i.e I don’t think this is about money or entrepreneur exits)

 





More posts (maybe related, maybe not)

  • WAYN relaunch video via TechFluff.tv
    Thanks to TechFluff.TV for this video from WAYN founder Pete Ward     Not sure, as a result of the relaunch, if they are still a travel website or not? But then what is travel anyway? I know...
  • Dopplr – first look – and also a video parody
    I have written before about how it is a classic head to head between WAYN (Where Are You Now) and the new kid on the block - Dopplr. Both have aims to connect travellers...
  • Diary confusion
    It is quite ridiculous that this week we had two conferences in London - on the same day - on the same topic. Firstly we had the Travel Technology Initiative's spring conference - subject "Travel...
  • FOWA review including Dopplr vs WAYN travel social networks
    This week I was at FOWA (Future of Web Apps) in London. Very good it was as well..... with one of many highlights being the live filming of Diggnation - with 1200 people in the...

5 Responses to “WAYN – Will AOL Yes No?”


  1. January 17th, 2008 at 5:46 pm
       Kevin May

    Apart from TechCrunch, nobody has any idea where this tale has come from – so well done to Mr Butcher, but let’s wait and see.

    WAYN is none too impressed with it all. AOL is confused.

  2. January 18th, 2008 at 3:10 am
       Sam Daams

    I’m not sure how good of a comparison Dopplr is to WAYN really. Dopplr is clearly aimed at folks who travel a lot and would only really be useful to them too. WAYN is much bigger (thanks to their years of spamming) and much less targetted. The one is also heavily used in the UK whereas the other is going to be more of a US/North American set up.

    Regardless, WAYN stands a better chance if the turmoil in the financial markets continues as Dopplr would have to start making money faster than they might have planned for.

    I’d say it’s probably a rumour regarding AOL/WAYN. Can’t really see what the attraction would be for AOL compared to a few other sites out there….

  3. January 18th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
       Alex Bainbridge

    Hi Sam,
    I would define two companies as competitors if they are both looking to solve the same problem (rather than if they both have the same solution).

    e.g. online news competes with traditional newspapers – both looking to solve the same problem (where someone goes to keep informed) but both with different solutions.

    So yes Dopplr and Wayn are different (I am not sure how different because I use neither actively) – but they both try to solve the problem of knowing who out of your friends are going to be where.

  4. January 21st, 2008 at 2:42 pm
       Mike Butcher

    Whether WAYN or AOL impressed is of absolutely no interest to me. I have four good sources who all say a sale is going to happen. It may just be that AOL doesn’t bite, but WAYN’s investors will almost certainly have to realise a liquidity event this year, preferably sooner rather than later. As for Dopplr – comparing it with WAYN is like comparing chalk and cheese…

  5. January 21st, 2008 at 2:56 pm
       Alex Bainbridge

    Hi Mike
    Thanks for commenting. You have certainly got everyone intrigued with this story!
    best wishes. Alex

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This blog is about travel ecommerce & travel social media with a focus on topics of interest to tour operators & B2C travel companies

Alex has previously started up a small tour operator (5 staff) and also worked for leading "dot coms", airlines, hotel chains and tour operators advising and project managing web, ecommerce, social media and reservation system projects.

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