I’d have thought that the average user would probably simply ‘wear’ 5 minutes of downtime from a for pay email provider and it would cost the provider nothing. At least in the advertising model it would also cost the provider 5 minutes worth of advertising revenue.

I suppose there would be a ‘premium’ market that would desire a high degree of surety and be prepared to pay for it but I’d expect that to be a relatively small part of the market.

For 99% of people I’d expect Google’s backups are going to be far more rigorous than if they were keeping their mail on their home PCs. To conclude that “advertising supported software-as-a-service is dead in the water” is silly because 99% of people don’t need such a high level of surety and as with pretty much any advertising supported product it is designed for the masses, not those with special needs.

Who says a contractual agreement has to involve a exchange of money upfront? Indeed, when I got my Google account, I entered into a contractual agreement of sorts with them. Problem is, the current agreement says, in effect, “We reserve the right to lose your data etc.” Unless and until that changes, advertising supported software-as-a-service is dead in the water.

-ian

Very interesting idea..

-ian

There’s a difference between the 2 models you mention. If your free-to-view ad-supported TV network goes off air during ‘Lost’ – you get no comeback

If your PPV TV operator’s systems go down during a film you’ve paid for, I’d assume they’d either refund your money, or let you start the viewing again

I think this is the same with the pay-for Web services model. I *still* wouldn’t trust someone else with my data (what if they lose all my mail? How my compensation would one get) – but I’d imagine they’d at least *try* to make it up. With a free Web app, you’d get nowt.

Just my 2ps worth

Regards

George

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