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NOTE: This article is a re-post of a guest article by Anil Dharni, VP of Products at hi5 and member of the OpenSocial Foundation Board of Directors, that first appeared on the OpenSocial blog.
Ever since launching our OpenSocial platform in March 2008, developers have been eager for a unified payment platform for collecting micro-transactions on hi5. Over the past year, we have moved ahead to make such a virtual currency platform available to developers while ensuring a positive user experience for our members. Over the last few weeks, hi5 has been launching our first third-party games integrated via OpenSocial-compliant APIs to our virtual currency platform - providing a standard payment method for developers to monetize their applications through our audience of over 60 million active users around the world.
The first step in this progression was the launch of our virtual currency back in December 2008, which allowed users to buy hi5 Coins and use them to purchase virtual goods on the site. This platform was initially accessible only for hi5 premium features like Gifts. We rapidly expanded the ways that users could get real currency into the system - going beyond credit/debit cards to include payment methods, such as mobile SMS, offers and alternate cards, like Ultimate Game cards, that are popular in different parts of the world.
The next step was to make our payments interface OpenSocial compliant. In order to make our virtual currency more universal across hi5 and non-hi5 applications, our OpenSocial platform team collaborated with other containers to propose an OpenSocial Virtual Currency API as an extension to the OpenSocial specification. Our virtual currency interface was expedited due to the work started by other OpenSocial containers like Xiaonei.com, 51.com, and Netlog.com. With real use cases from Asia, Europe and Latin America, the containers quickly converged on the API specifications.
The hi5 OpenSocial Virtual Currency interface is already live in public beta with several third-party developers like RockYou (RockYou Pets), Playdom (Poker Palace) and Small Worlds, enabling them to collect direct user payments within their games. We have a number of additional partnerships that will launch soon. OpenSocial developers can now leverage a standard virtual currency spec across containers - allowing them to monetize through micro-transactions without worrying about the details of payment processing, currency conversions, localized payment methods or other logistical challenges. Our users benefit, as well, with more outlets for spending their hi5 Coins and a simplified and familiar process for making payments on the hi5 site. We look forward to continuing to work with the OpenSocial community to innovate on the virtual currency standard and to make micro-transactions between users and developers a viable and growing revenue stream.
Ever since launching our OpenSocial platform in March 2008, developers have been eager for a unified payment platform for collecting micro-transactions on hi5. Over the past year, we have moved ahead to make such a virtual currency platform available to developers while ensuring a positive user experience for our members. Over the last few weeks, hi5 has been launching our first third-party games integrated via OpenSocial-compliant APIs to our virtual currency platform - providing a standard payment method for developers to monetize their applications through our audience of over 60 million active users around the world.
The first step in this progression was the launch of our virtual currency back in December 2008, which allowed users to buy hi5 Coins and use them to purchase virtual goods on the site. This platform was initially accessible only for hi5 premium features like Gifts. We rapidly expanded the ways that users could get real currency into the system - going beyond credit/debit cards to include payment methods, such as mobile SMS, offers and alternate cards, like Ultimate Game cards, that are popular in different parts of the world.
The next step was to make our payments interface OpenSocial compliant. In order to make our virtual currency more universal across hi5 and non-hi5 applications, our OpenSocial platform team collaborated with other containers to propose an OpenSocial Virtual Currency API as an extension to the OpenSocial specification. Our virtual currency interface was expedited due to the work started by other OpenSocial containers like Xiaonei.com, 51.com, and Netlog.com. With real use cases from Asia, Europe and Latin America, the containers quickly converged on the API specifications.
The hi5 OpenSocial Virtual Currency interface is already live in public beta with several third-party developers like RockYou (RockYou Pets), Playdom (Poker Palace) and Small Worlds, enabling them to collect direct user payments within their games. We have a number of additional partnerships that will launch soon. OpenSocial developers can now leverage a standard virtual currency spec across containers - allowing them to monetize through micro-transactions without worrying about the details of payment processing, currency conversions, localized payment methods or other logistical challenges. Our users benefit, as well, with more outlets for spending their hi5 Coins and a simplified and familiar process for making payments on the hi5 site. We look forward to continuing to work with the OpenSocial community to innovate on the virtual currency standard and to make micro-transactions between users and developers a viable and growing revenue stream.
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On Monday, hi5 launched its new Developer Platform with an initial batch of 65 new applications for hi5 users. We began making these apps available to hi5 users in phases throughout the week, and are now pleased to announce that all 80 million hi5 members now have access to our new Application Directory. In it, there are over 150 new ways to enjoy hi5, with many more to come!
Continue reading Over 150 New Ways to Enjoy hi5.
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Today marks a significant milestone in the evolution of hi5, as we have launched a robust new developer platform that will help bring about many new ways to communicate, interact and have fun within the hi5 community. Now, developers of social networking applications will be able to more easily create, deeply integrate and increase the success of their applications on hi5, by leveraging a suite of common APIs, including those of OpenSocial.
hi5 has also announced today that our company will be joining Google, Yahoo! and MySpace to help establish the OpenSocial Foundation. This new non-profit organization is being formed to focus on advancing the neutrality and longevity of an open, community-governed specification for building social applications across the Web, hence the name OpenSocial. What this commitment ultimately means for us is more ways for you to enjoy hi5!
hi5 has also announced today that our company will be joining Google, Yahoo! and MySpace to help establish the OpenSocial Foundation. This new non-profit organization is being formed to focus on advancing the neutrality and longevity of an open, community-governed specification for building social applications across the Web, hence the name OpenSocial. What this commitment ultimately means for us is more ways for you to enjoy hi5!
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If you've used the hi5 versions of the iLike and Qloud music applications, you've experienced the power of OpenSocial. It's an enabling technology that allows great applications to run on hi5.
We're working with the developer community to bring about even more applications using OpenSocial. To help this process, Google and Six Apart sponsored a "hackathon." Hackathons are great because they allow for developers to socialize, learn and write code. A good one also generally requires a hefty dose of Wi-Fi, pizza and beer too.
Last night, all were in abundance with over 100 people crammed into the Six Apart office in San Francisco. The fun began with status updates, followed by presentations on the OpenSocial API, the Shindig OpenSocial server, and how to get applications up and running.
After that, much elbow-rubbing, coding and learning took place. For hi5 that meant meeting dozens of new people who came to use our OpenSocial development "sandbox," and a new social application prototyped by Zynga - Battleship!
The folks from Zynga were able to get their Battleship game working in the hi5 Developer's Sandbox and integrated it with your friends list and profile data. Not bad for a few hours of hacking!
We're going to continue working on OpenSocial, and you can expect to see many new and interesting applications coming to hi5 in the future.
-- Paul
-- Paul
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We're proud to announce that Hi5 will fully implement Google's OpenSocial APIs. OpenSocial expands on hi5's existing Widget system by adding many high-quality applications for our users and allowing much greater flexibility for developers using the hi5 Platform. The following video shows an example of a number of OpenSocial applications running inside a beta version of www.hi5.com
For Developers
Open Social applications are easy to write and give you the widest audience. The Open Social API builds upon the Google Gadget system, which is well designed and feature rich. Here at hi5 we especially noticed that internationalization features are present, which is essential for delivering these applications to our diverse world-wide audience.
The API is simple, yet powerful. Your application can access profile, friends, and activity information for the viewer and owner of a profile or canvas page. It only takes a few lines of JavaScript to pull in this information, the rest is all standard HTML and JavaScript.
For hi5 Users
This project will bring some great applications to hi5. Music Applications like iLike will track your favorite music and your friends favorite music. Slide's Funwall gives you a whole new way of chatting with your friends. And Movie application Flixster will let you show off your favorite films and celebrities on your home page.
Even more exciting is the applications yet to be written. We fully expect a large number of new, interesting, and localized applications to pop up. These new applications will give you applications that speak your native language and target your local customs and culture.
The Future
At hi5 we're excited about delivering this platform to our users and developers, along with our current Platform. We plan to have a developer sandbox available in November, with a production release following after a period of testing. Developers are encouraged to visit the hi5 Developer site and Google's OpenSocial site to keep abreast of the latest information and join in the conversation.
As you can see, OpenSocial opens a number of possibilities for Developers and Users.
For Developers
Open Social applications are easy to write and give you the widest audience. The Open Social API builds upon the Google Gadget system, which is well designed and feature rich. Here at hi5 we especially noticed that internationalization features are present, which is essential for delivering these applications to our diverse world-wide audience.
The API is simple, yet powerful. Your application can access profile, friends, and activity information for the viewer and owner of a profile or canvas page. It only takes a few lines of JavaScript to pull in this information, the rest is all standard HTML and JavaScript.
For hi5 Users
This project will bring some great applications to hi5. Music Applications like iLike will track your favorite music and your friends favorite music. Slide's Funwall gives you a whole new way of chatting with your friends. And Movie application Flixster will let you show off your favorite films and celebrities on your home page.
Even more exciting is the applications yet to be written. We fully expect a large number of new, interesting, and localized applications to pop up. These new applications will give you applications that speak your native language and target your local customs and culture.
The Future
At hi5 we're excited about delivering this platform to our users and developers, along with our current Platform. We plan to have a developer sandbox available in November, with a production release following after a period of testing. Developers are encouraged to visit the hi5 Developer site and Google's OpenSocial site to keep abreast of the latest information and join in the conversation.
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