My continuing coverage of monetization in the world of microblogging takes a different spin today. Up for review is QikCom, a service offering private group functionality.

In their own words:

“QikCom helps you connect and share with other employees within your company. Our core micro-messaging platform allows you to send short, quick messages to other employees. The messages are easily searched or accessed by other employees. We also built a business application marketplace called TabStore on top of the core micro-messaging platform. Any alerts from the apps/tabs integrate seamlessly with your micro-messaging feed.”

Details

• Revenue generated through the TabStore (where users can buy value-added features)
• Participants from any email address can be invited to join a network from any email address (not limited to a specific domain).
• Integration into the Twitter API

Thoughts

Private network microblogging sites see the value in a sustainable business model. Yammer, for example, charges networks a monthly fee per user for advanced features. QikCom offers free administration — directly targeting Yammer — and they provide a host of additional services including:

• Advanced Security Options
• Invite Non-Company Email
• Manage Company Users
• Upload Company Logo
• Discount TabStore Prices

So where does revenue come in? Through the TabStore. From QikCom:

“The TabStore is a place for you to purchase more cool business Apps/Tabs on top of the core micro-messaging service.”

It’s clear from the initial offerings (noted in the image on the right) that there is a lot of room to grow. This service establishes a critical change from past monetization strategies in the microblogging world (to go out on a limb, I would say “social media” in general). Rather than generate revenue from pageviews, QikCom seeks to promote the use of microblogging as a conversational platform. As I’ve blogged in both on TouchBase and Fluent Simplicity, the case for ROI isn’t always clear as social media is based on human capital. In order for an organization’s strategic goals to be supported, employees tasked with social media need tools and training to maximize their performance. In my opinion, service-oriented features, such as those (potentially) offered by the QikCom TabStore, meet this requirement. What does this mean for an organization? Greater alignment to strategic goals and an increased level of engagement with your community.

I had an opportunity to discuss the service with Travis VanderZanden, Founder & CEO of QikCom, Inc. Our dialogue follows:

JK: Will you open up the TabStore to outside developers? If so, will there be revenue sharing?
TV: Yes, absolutely. There will be rev sharing with the developers, somewhere close to 50/50.

JK: Any concepts or ideas you’re willing to share?
TV: We envision many useful business applications in the TabStore, but we’re really excited about letting the developer community innovate.

JK: I was intrigued by the “badges.” How do these work?
TV: Badges are composed of basic profile/company info such as your name, title, employee id number and company logo. Your badge can easily be shared on the web since it’s public info.

JK: Will there be detailed stats — or perhaps a custom integration with Google Analytics?
TV: Stay tuned…

JK: I see your platform is based on the Twitter API - what is the timing for this service?
TV: We have a Twitter-compatible API available today and point existing tools to https://www.qikcom.com/api

JK: Any thoughts you can share regarding your strategic vision for the space, current capitalization, or partnerships?
TV: Enterprise micro-messaging is a young market, but we’re excited about it’s potential and our current position within that market. We think the right strategy is to allow employees and admins to use the core micro-messaging service for free and then monetize on the additional value add business applications available in the TabStore. All tabs/apps in the TabStore will be able to integrate with the core micro-messaging feed to send alerts/messages. For example, if someone assigns a new ToDo item to you, it will notify you via your message feed.

Summary

QikCom’s approach to monetization is a refreshing change from the ad-driven status quo embraced by most of the industry. One serious question in my mind: are companies savvy enough to understand that microblogging is more than follower count and tweet frequency? Will tools, made available through the TabStore, offer enough value in exchange for the associated financial cost? Time will tell, but this is one organization to watch.

Jonathan Kash is Director of Web Services at a non-profit based in Washington, D.C., and writes the blog Fluent Simplicity. He also created the Social Media Brand Index (originally the Twitter Brand Index). Interests include brand identity, online reputation and strategy.