Chapter 56: Quick Decision
As an Internet developer, nothing is more exciting than creating a groundbreaking product from your own hands.
The developers who were recruited to develop Hotmail now have this feeling. Previous email products were almost independent and complementary to each other. Whether it was registration or sending, it was very complicated, and even could not be used if the computer was changed.
In particular, the office computers of major companies are all equipped with firewalls, which even makes it impossible to log into email boxes. The Hotmail mailbox that Song Yang is going to launch now is a completely new concept of mailbox!
Song Yang placed a plan in front of Qiao Tusi, "Currently, mainstream email products are all charged and have various restrictions. Even if you change computers, you can't log in!"
"The Hotmail mailbox we are going to launch is a brand new mailbox. Once you register, you can anonymously access the Hotmail mailbox on any computer's web browser. It is free to register and use. In addition, it provides services such as mailbox attachment virus scanning and mailbox search!"
Song Yang proposed a new email design and concept . Looking at the plan in his hand, Joetus was greatly shocked. Wang Laboratories already had an email service business, and he could imagine that once Hotmail was launched, all existing email products would be hit hard.
Not to mention anything else, the fact that it's free is enough to completely beat those paid email boxes. Not to mention that it provides 10M storage space right from the start, which is much more attractive than those paid email boxes that only offer 2M space.
As for other things like web page login, virus scanning, etc., let alone letting users choose between Hotmail and other mailboxes, anyone with a clear eye can know which one to choose.
Song Yang and Joe Tus talked with Willis and other development engineers in the small office for a while, and then went to the office nearby.
After entering, Joetus was silent for a while, still thinking about the Hotmail mailbox he had just seen. Because Wang Laboratories had an mailbox business, he could think of more.
In the past, email did not become mainstream in the Internet industry due to charges and many restrictions. However, the emergence of Hotmail is likely to change this situation. Telegrams, faxes, and the like may completely disappear because of it!
After all, compared to cumbersome telegrams and faxes, email is much more convenient, especially Hotmail. As long as you log in to your computer and log in to your Hotmail account in the browser, you can check and send emails to anyone. Joetus can imagine how much of a stir it will create in the office industry.
However, Qiaotus still had some questions for Song Yang. "Song, you have to know that the cost of email is much higher than that of search and other businesses, and is even comparable to the cost of browsers. However, the profit level is far lower than that of these businesses, especially since Hotmail offers so many services. How will Hotmail make a profit in the future?!"
Song Yang smiled and said, "President Qiaotus, have you forgotten which company is below where you are now?"
Song Yang's meaning was very clear. He started his business by relying on DoubleClick. If he didn't insert some advertisements in the Hotmail mailbox, Song Yang would be letting himself down.
But in response to Song Yang's answer, Qiaotus just looked at Song Yang. This set of statements was enough to fool others, but it was not enough to fool Qiaotus.
Email is not a browser that you can open and check when you have nothing to do. The mainstream group of people who use email is definitely for office use. These people open their email just to see emails from their bosses, colleagues, and customers. They definitely don't do it to read advertisements!
Seeing Qiaotus's expression, Song Yang restrained his smile and said to Qiaotus, "President Qiaotus, the most important thing in the Internet industry now is not profit, but traffic and number of users!"
Qiaotus was stunned. Song Yang's words seemed to have lifted the veil of mystery surrounding the current Internet industry, revealing a naked industry before him.
What revenue, what Internet concept, it's all bullshit. Now as long as a website can attract user registration and increase daily traffic, it will be the darling of the market. Making money is a matter for the future, now it’s all about making the pie bigger!
"As long as Hotmail can occupy the email industry and have three million, five million or even ten million users, what impact will it have if Hotmail diverts traffic to Yahoo, Netscape or other products?!" Song Yang said to Joetus.
Joetus took a deep breath. He didn't dare to imagine what the scene would be like, but he knew that if Hotmail really had 10 million users, then no matter how much money they lost, companies all over the world would probably scramble to get it. No matter whether they were Internet companies or not, as long as they got Hotmail, they could get 10 million users. Which company would not be tempted?
Think about it, if you want to promote a product, you can send an email advertisement directly to all Hotmail users. Even if the traffic monetization rate is low, it can still attract tens of millions of users. This is much cheaper than advertising on TV. As long as you have users, why worry about not finding a way to make money?
"What does Wang An Company need to do?" Qiaotus asked Song Yang.
“Funding, technical personnel, email patents!”
Joe Tuss thought for a moment and said, "For three million US dollars, Wang Laboratories will get 40% of the equity of Hotmail and can provide 30 software engineers for the Hotmail project. The 17 patents held by Wang Laboratories, including transmission, encryption, graphics and text, can also be transferred to Hotmail in exchange for 10% of Hotmail's equity!"
Song Yang looked at Joetus. He was really rude. He gave him a real "rookie contract". He was trying to make the most of the rookie.
"impossible!"
Song Yang refused without thinking, "President Qiaotus, I want you to cooperate this time because of the last time, but Wang An is not the only partner that Hotmail can choose!"
"For five million US dollars, the Hotmail mailbox can be transferred to Wang An Company for 20% of the shares, and the patent transfer can be exchanged for 10% of the shares. This is the limit of what I can do!" Song Yang said to Joetus.
Joetus couldn't help but be silent. Song Yang immediately valued Hotmail at 25 million US dollars, which was much higher than the valuation of mainstream email services on the market.
After looking at Song Yang for a few times, Qiaotus shook his head and smiled, feeling quite a bit of emotion in his heart. The Song Yang now was really completely different from the last time.
"Song, you can join the first team now. You are no longer a rookie!" Qiaotus said as he stretched out his hand, agreeing to Song Yang 's conditions.
Does it cost five million US dollars to develop Hotmail? Joetus could find a few rookies to work on it for half a year or a year and spend three hundred thousand US dollars to develop it. But the key is creativity, which was proposed by Song Yang. Joetus knew that if Song Yang did not go to Wang Laboratories, he could find any other company to cooperate with and offer a higher price, the other party would never refuse!
Song Yang took out the wine that Irene had prepared in advance and poured a glass for Qiaotus. "President Qiaotus, I said that we will become partners!"
Qiaotus nodded, then glanced at the two busy office areas outside, turned back and said to Song Yang, "Song, as a collaborator, do you need to tell me about your other new projects?!"
Song Yang didn't expect that Joetus had such a keen sense of smell, but Song Yang would not reveal it easily. In the current Internet industry, what people compete for is creativity. Being one step ahead means being ahead at all times. Now Hotmail and ICQ are both confidential. They will not be promoted until they are developed and launched on the market.
"There are some insignificant small projects. When the time comes, President Joetus will know!"
Seeing that Song Yang was unwilling to say more, Qiao Tusi could only sigh. Song Yang kept it secret, and it was obvious that the so-called "small project" was more valuable than the Hotmail mailbox.
This made Joetus sigh. He didn't know how Song Yang came up with these creative ideas, digital advertising, web mailboxes, and now there is a mysterious project. Joetus really didn't know how far Song Yang would go in the future. Regardless of other things, Joetus was sure that there would definitely be a place for Song Yang, a rookie, in the Internet stadium of America!
"Wang An Company will cooperate with Hotmail, and we hope that this project can be completed as soon as possible!" Joetus said to Song Yang as he stood up.
Once it was decided to invest in Hotmail , Wang Laboratories would have to make adjustments to its email business, and might even have to abandon some businesses. However, if Hotmail really became the dominant force in the email industry, Wang Laboratories would make a lot of money from this project, and Joe Tus's reputation as a man with a keen eye for talent would become even more famous!
After Joetus left, Song Yang called in Wesley, who was in charge of two new projects.
"Jotus and Wang Laboratories have agreed to invest in Hotmail. Funds and technical personnel will arrive soon. I hope this project can be completed within two months!"
It is now almost mid-July 1995. Song Yang has to develop Hotmail as soon as possible and then promote it to blow up the Hotmail balloon. By Christmas, the number of Hotmail users must reach at least tens of millions, so that big sponsors will come to take over.
