Just reading up on the news from the US. I am stunned reading this release from Virgin USA about their next steps in mobile social networking. Mobile Lounge a mobile only (that’s ok but could be questioned) and exclusive to Virgin USA customers. Yes, exclusive. Hello!? Even though it hurts the truth is that no living person on this planet has a social network that overlaps with one mobile network operator. Well, in this case maybe I should exclude top management at Virgin USA. They seem to have it all covered. Maybe the incentives for use, points that can be converted into call time and texts will give people enough reason. Still it is not a system that will have the force of natural human behaviour.

Creating liquidity in yet another social network that users have to invest time in is hard enough. Why then limit your potential so severely to only allow your own customers? I guess the second announcement in this release is part of some kind of portfolio strategy. Connect aggregates other social networks for you in your phone. Now, that makes sense.

Next time this year Mobile Lounge will no longer be with us and Connect will be thriving. Remeber, you read it here first.

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