Comcast, Vodafone Embrace Social Networking, Team With Top Sites

In strong evidence of the importance of social networking to service providers worldwide, Comcast Corp. teamed Wednesday with Facebook in a deal that will allow Facebook users to create and share user-generated videos and vie for a role in a new television series titled "Facebook Diaries."

Also Wednesday, United Kingdom-based service provider Vodafone announced a partnership with MySpace, that will enable its customers to tap into their profiles and update them from a mobile phone, as well as send and receive messages as part of a service that will launch first in that country.

Beginning in March, Comcast and Facebook will kickoff a program that includes contests asking users to submit short video segments about their lives. Throughout the contests, Facebook users will be encouraged to upload, view, share and rate the videos. Selected videos will be featured prominently online on Facebook and Ziddio.com and on television including Comcast's on-demand service.

Submitted videos will form the basis for the new television series, "Facebook Diaries.” The best submissions will be woven together for 10 half-hour episodes that will air online and on television.

While service providers have said little about any plans they might have for social networking/user-generated content sites or strategies, Comcast’s Interactive Media unit has aggressively addressed the growing trend with a site of their own and plans – such as this – to encourage partnerships with more established sites, such as Facebook.

Comcast launched its social networking site – Ziddio.com - last year.

“We need to integrate social networking and continue building community networking features on our social service,” said Caroline Marks, director of content development for Comcast Interactive Media in an interview just weeks ago. “We don’t want to close anyone out.”

Service providers need to have a plan for social networking, if only for anticipated traffic increases that increasing use of social networking and user-generated video features at a fast-growing number of sites, analysts caution, noting that enterprises are launching social networking sites of their own to better connect with current and prospective customers.

Facebook’s following attests to the rise in social networking, which had its Internet roots in chat rooms and message boards.

"Video sharing is extremely popular among Facebook's 16 million users," said Owen Van Natta, chief operating officer of Facebook. "Through our partnership with Comcast, we are making it even easier for the Facebook community to share video content in a trusted online environment and giving them the opportunity to tell their stories on TV."

"Ziddio has leveraged Comcast's powerful reach in broadband and television to create a nationwide site that elevates the world of user-generated videos to a cross-platform experience," said Amy Banse, president, Comcast Interactive Media. "We are excited to connect this phenomenon with the Facebook community and bring Ziddio to its unique demographic."

Once the contests launch in March, Facebook users can begin uploading video by joining the Ziddio-sponsored group on Facebook or through Ziddio at www.ziddio.com. To join Facebook, people can authenticate into a school or work network, or they can join a regional network by registering at www.facebook.com.  

Comcast Corp. www.comcast.com  

Facebook www.facebook.com  

MySpace www.myspace.com  

Vodafone Group plc. www.vodafone.com

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