Users are no longer looking for preset menu table instead; want choice picking only what they want.

IT industry with recent transition to web 2.0 and ‘personalized touch service’ as its main part of service is catching the attention of the users. As a result, giant global portals like Google and MS along with domestic venture capital groups are unveiling their versions of the ‘personalized portal service one by one. However, to popularize their services there are still many obstacles ahead.

On 11th past, MS Korea began Korean Beta service (live.com) for their next generation platform service. The Korean service is built around original English service settings with some of the parts tailored to fit local trends. Its starting page includes six categories; Main MSN headline news, sports, economy (chosun.com) with corners like media and MSN computer to RSS news feeds.

In addition, MS’ live.com will furnish service based from ‘Windows live API, Gaget’ for web developers to freely makeup contents using free software program within its live.com to promote traffic to its site.

However, it is only available in beta format for time being and it expects sometime before it can show actual results. MS said it plans to release the full version by this October.

Domestic venture group getting into ‘personalized portal service’
Global leaders like Google and MS are coming out with personal touch services but in domestic Korea, there really aren’t any major portals getting in the program yet.

But in meanwhile, WiZarD Works (domestic venture college students) just introduced its beta version of personalized portal service through its site wzd.com on the 14th. Group of elite venture students from Yonsei University with average 21 years of age, forms the body of WiZarD Works.

The wzd.com service provides RSS feeds and widget and the widget search provides seven different search engines from Google, Naver, Daum etc. When comparing MS live.com only offering its MSN search and Google with its Google search only the wzd.com clearly shows distinct advantage over other sites. Especially WiZarD Works pointed out that personalized page services provided by major portals
only give official widget and RSS feed which are closed-minded toward providing users with true personalize service concept.

On the other hand, wzd.com’s open-minded platform, which accepts various contents, can provide even faster response time than giant portals like MS and Google due to their huge scale of operations.

WiZarD Works president Chulmin Pyo said, “The individuals do not have any way of editing contents in regular portals but with the personalized service, it will bring change to that. The users will eventually prefer the services that instantly react to user feedbacks than just the huge contents provided by MS and Google.

Long laboring pains ahead for ‘Personalized Portals’
Nevertheless, these individualized portal services are still in early stage for the domestic Korean market and will have to face many obstacles yet.
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First, web 2.0 with its continued business model issues, profitability with these kinds of new services brings the doubts to many.

WiZarD Works president Chulmin Pyo said, “There still isn’t a clear answers to ads and ad banners placed in personalized service page as to whether or not its appropriate with the original concept of the personalized service but we want to keep an open mind to that issue.”

An MSN affiliate also said,” It’s to early to say what profitable models are into works yet. Its just a beta version service and nothing has been decided as of yet. We should see some kind of ideas basing from the user feedbacks by this October.”

To bring success to this kind if personalized portal service, its important to note that first, assuring service users are must and especially to promote and drive active participation from power users who can develop contents will require a marketing strategies. However, there were no clear answers to above questions anywhere.

In WiZarD Works’ case, being a student venture group, it does not have specific budget plans for the marketing with relying on ads running on blogosphere alone currently. In other hand, MSN which does not have the budget issues said they too do not have any solid marketing strategies yet indicating a significant amount of time before active services are in sight.