Filed under: Features, Web services
Userplane CEO Michael Jones - Download Squad interview
We reported earlier today that Userplane, a company that makes web-based video, audio, and text chat software is being acquired by AOL, Download Squad's own parent company. It's an interesting move for both Userplane and AOL, and Userplane CEO Michael Jones was kind enough to answer a few questions for us.Download Squad: Can you tell me a bit about how Userplane got started and what it does?
Michael Jones: I have posted a brief history of Userplane at dandelife.com/stories/list/userplane.
Basically, 3 partners – Michael Jones (business), Javier Hall (design), Nate Thelen (technology) who had worked together on my former company came together and formed Userplane. We worked on custom development projects for a year or so – then began embarking on our own product line targeted at online communications – specifically IM. As we grew, and our products' success began – we expanded our product line, our staff, and began marketing our applications to any and all online communities. We were fortunate in our timing, and we have built a strong network of users both on the private label / integrated side and on our free instant-install product line.
What we do specifically is provide presence, IM and chat communication solutions to online communities. You can review a bit on our products at www.userplane.com – but we provide solutions both for individuals (our instant-install products) and full fledged communities (integrated products).
So, just how good at time waster games are you? Think you've got the stuff? Well, The World's Hardest Game 2.0 doesn't think you do.
Yes, amazingly, it's possible to have a sequel to a game called "The World's Hardest Game". It doesn't seem logically possible, since if the first one was actually the world's hardest, how could another one come along and share the moniker? It made me doubt the name in the first place. That is, until I tried the game.
The mechanics of the game are very simple. You are a small red square, ...
