Napster Co-Founder’s New Venture is Plaxo: “a consumer-oriented tool to help end users “securely update, maintain and access” their contact lists, the free beta version of Plaxo integrates with Microsoft Outlook for Windows.” Adds Wired:
Here’s how it works: A Plaxo user sends plain-text e-mails to friends and colleagues requesting contact information updates. Recipients can reply to the request by updating their info in the template provided or by e-mailing free-form text, which Plaxo parses using natural language processing technology.
The key to Plaxo’s success appears to lie in its virus-like nature.
“As more people receive update requests and begin to recognize Plaxo’s value,” said Parker, “some will be motivated to download the application themselves.”
Those who download the software stay in sync with each other automatically through a Plaxo update center that runs behind the scenes, updating users’ address books when members change their information.
What is still not clear is Plaxo’s business model.
