#ianalyst

We’ve seen it before. A fast-growing service starts to rub up against a rival and eventually upsets the equilibrium. Soon enough, the rival, who controls something vital to the growth of the other service, begins to use its upper hand to disadvantage the upstart. Typically, the newcomer has very little choice but to give in to the rival’s demands.  In the past, this was the story of Google versus Apple. But more recently, this is the story of Facebook and Google—one that could redefine the way we view the web and technology.

So what’s all the hype about?

Presently, Facebook does not allow its users to export contact data to other Internet services. As a result, Google will not allow Facebook to integrate with the contacts list on Android phones, which happens to be exportable.

But why does the contacts list even matter?

Well, in the battle for social networking supremacy, Google has been struggling to get a stronger lead on Facebook. In light of such heightened competition, Google is hanging on to every advantage it has over rivals, one of them being the contacts list.

So, what does this mean for Facebook?

In the past, Google has answered back to its rivals by introducing its own software platforms. If history is any indication, Facebook will follow in the footsteps of Google and redefine the game by introducing a “Facebook phone.”

Eventually, Google may decide to do what Apple once did—exerting more control over its OS. If this is the case, Google may put heavier restrictions on which services can and cannot run on its platform. This may put Facebook at a major disadvantage.  Until then, however, Facebook will continue dominating the social networking market.

By Sam Moe

This past Sunday, February 20th 2011, iAnalyst sponsored our own Jessica Cooper in the A1A Marathon benefiting Feeding America.  Jessica, an Account Executive at iAnalyst’s Miami office, successfully completed the race through Fort Lauderdale contributing to this great cause.

One of Feeding America’s branches, Feeding South Florida, was the recipient of the event's charitable donations.  According to the organization, “One in six Americans [go hungry every year], and many of them are children and the elderly … 20% of all food produced in the United States goes to waste.  And that’s where Feed South Florida comes in.”

Feeding South Florida distributes over 23 million pounds of food annually and feeds about 1 million people each year.  Given these current economic times, Feeding America is an especially important and crucial cause to contribute to.

What is Architizer? Architizer is one of the the most prominent, up-and-coming social media platforms of 2010. Unleashed in second quarter of 2009, Architizer set its sights on syncing the architectural community with those actively seeking a firm that fits all of their aesthetic requirements. Within a fiscal year, Architizer was able to capture the hearts of the social community by creating a niche platform capable of laying out a firm's portfolio embedded with geolocation-based services, and an in-depth meta tagging system allowing for a full functional, dynamic archive of key terms for a truly enriched search function.

Architizer is the first Web 2.0 network to provide Architects with a truly powerful voice. Included in the community itself is a linked-in like job section allowing for both job seekers and employers the opportunity to align visions and better the company. This is a unique feature to have in such a distinct market.

Moreover, the social community within Architizer thrives off friendly design competition.  There are constantly new challenges being posted, enticing firms to actively participate and put their names on the map. In some cases, these are put on by those seeking the work of architects, as a measure of showing which firm may best capture the true needs of the client.