Back to 1995

Chapter 56
As an Internet developer, there is nothing more exciting than a cross-age product coming out of your own hands.

These few recruited developers who are in charge of developing Hotmail mailboxes now have this feeling. The previous email products are almost complementary to each other. Whether it is registration or sending and using, it is very complicated, and even changing computers can be difficult. unavailable.

In particular, the office computers of major companies are all equipped with firewalls, which even make it impossible to log in to emails. Now, the Hotmail mailbox that Song Yang is going to launch is a new concept mailbox!

Song Yang put a plan in front of Jotus, "The current mainstream mailbox products are all charged and have various restrictions. Even if you change a computer, you can't log in again!"

"The Hotmail mailbox we are going to launch is a brand new mailbox. After registration, you can access the Hotmail mailbox anonymously in any computer's web browser, and register for free. In addition, it provides virus scanning for mailbox attachments and search mailboxes. Waiting for service!"

Song Yang proposed a brand-new mailbox design and concept. Jotus looked at the plan in his hand and was shocked. Wang An's company now has email service business. He could even imagine that once the Hotmail mailbox is launched, now Some e-mail products are afraid that they will be hanged and beaten.

Not to mention anything else, just one free one, there are absolutely no scumbags left in those paid mailboxes that can be used, not to mention the mailboxes that provide 10M storage space as soon as they come up, which are much more attractive than those e-mailboxes that only charge for 2M space too much.

As for other web logins, virus scanning, etc., not to mention, let users choose between Hotmail mailboxes and other mailboxes, as long as they are not blind, they can know which one to choose.

Song Yang and Jotus talked for a while with Willis and other development engineers in the small office, and then went to the office next to them.

After entering, Jotus was a little silent, still thinking about the Hotmail mailbox he saw just now, because Wang An Company has mailbox business, he can think of more.

In the past, e-mails did not become mainstream in the Internet industry due to many restrictions on charging fees. However, after the emergence of Hotmail mailboxes, this situation is likely to change. Telegrams, faxes, and the like may all disappear completely because of it. !
After all, compared to cumbersome telegrams and faxes, e-mail is much more convenient, especially Hotmail e-mail, as long as you log in to the computer and log in to the Hotmail account in the browser, you can check and send e-mails to any person, Jotus It is conceivable that it will set off a big storm in the office industry.

However, Jotus still has some questions that he wants to ask Song Yang, "Song, you must know that the cost of e-mail is much higher than the cost of search and other services, even comparable to the cost of browsers, but the cost of profit Compared with these services, the level is far behind, especially since Hotmail still provides so many services, how will Hotmail make money in the future?!"

Song Yang smiled, "President Jotus, have you forgotten where you are now, and which company is below?"

Song Yang's meaning is very clear. He started his business by double-clicking the company. If there is no advertisement in the Hotmail mailbox, Song Yang is sorry for himself.

But for Song Yang's answer, Jotus just looked at Song Yang. This kind of argument is enough to fool others, but it is not enough to fool Jotus.

E-mail is not a browser, just open it if you have nothing to do. The mainstream group who use e-mail must be for office work. It's okay to see any advertisements!

Seeing Jotus's expression, Song Yang restrained his smile and said to Jotus, "President Jotus, the most important thing in the Internet industry is not profit, but the traffic and the number of users!"

Jotus was taken aback, Song Yang's words seemed to have lifted the veil of mystery surrounding the Internet industry, and revealed a fruitless industry in front of him.

What kind of revenue, what kind of Internet concept, are all nonsense. Now, as long as a website can attract user registration and increase the traffic of daily visits, whoever is the darling of the market, making money is a matter of the future, and now is to make the cake bigger Say it again!
"As long as Hotmail can occupy the e-mail industry and have 300 million, 500 million or even 1000 million users, what will be the impact if Hotmail diverts traffic from Yahoo, Netscape or other products?!" Song Yang said to Qiao Tu S said.

Chotus took a deep breath. He didn't dare to imagine what it would be like, but he knew that if Hotmail really had 1000 million users, no matter how much money it lost, companies all over the world would rush to get it. Regardless of whether it is an Internet company or not, as long as you get the Hotmail mailbox, you can get 1000 million users, which company is not tempted.

Think about it, what product to promote, send an email advertisement directly to all Hotmail mailbox users, even if the traffic realization rate is low, it can attract tens of millions of users, which is cheaper than advertising on TV. But it's much lower. As long as you have users, are you afraid that you won't find a way to make money?
"What do you need Wang An Company to do?" Jotus asked Song Yang.

"Funds, technicians, email patents!"

Chotus thought for a while and said, "For 300 million US dollars, Wang An Company will get a 40% stake in Hotmail mailboxes, and can provide 30 software engineers for the Hotmail mailbox project. Wen and other 17 patents can also be transferred to Hotmail in exchange for a 10% stake in Hotmail!"

Song Yang looked at Jotus, he was really rude, what he gave was really a "rookie contract", it was to catch the rookie and squeeze the wool hard.

"impossible!"

Song Yang refused without even thinking about it, "President Jotus, the reason why I asked you to cooperate this time is because of last time, but Wang An's company is not the only partner that Hotmail can choose!"

"For 500 million U.S. dollars, the Hotmail mailbox can be transferred to Wang An's 20% equity, and the patent transfer can be exchanged for 10% equity. This is the limit of what I can do!" Song Yang said to Jotus.

Chotus couldn't help being a little silent. As soon as Song Yang came up, he gave Hotmail a valuation of up to 2500 million dollars, which is much higher than the mainstream mailboxes in the market today.

After looking at Song Yang for a few times, Jotus shook his head and smiled, feeling a little sigh in his heart, now Song Yang is really different from last time.

"Song, you can enter the first team now, you are no longer a rookie!" Jotus stretched out his hand and said, agreeing to Song Yang's conditions.

Does the development of Hotmail mailboxes cost 500 million US dollars? Jotus finds a few rookies to dawdle for half a year or a year, and it can be developed with 30 US dollars, but the key is creativity, which was proposed by Song Yang. Jotus knew that Song Yang would not seek cooperation from Wang An Company, but would cooperate with any company and offer a higher price, and the other party would not refuse at all!
Song Yang took it out, asked Irene to prepare a drink in advance, and poured Jotus a glass, "President Jotus, as I said, we will become partners!"

Jotus nodded, then glanced at the two busy office areas outside, then turned to Song Yang and said, "Song, as a collaborator, do you need to tell me about your other new projects?!"

Song Yang didn't expect Jotus to have such a keen sense of smell, but Song Yang wouldn't reveal it easily. In the Internet industry, creativity is what is competing for, and one step ahead is one step ahead. Right now, Hotmail and ICQ are kept secret, and we have to wait until Publicity and promotion will only be carried out when the development is completed and launched on the market.

"There are some insignificant small projects. When the time comes, President Jotus will know!"

Seeing that Song Yang was unwilling to say more, Jotus could only sigh. Song Yang kept it secret, so the so-called "small projects" were obviously more valuable than Hotmail mailboxes.

This made Jotus sigh, he didn't know how Song Yang came up with these ideas, digital advertising, web mail, and now there is a mysterious project, Jotus really didn't know what Song Yang would do in the future, Regardless of other things, Jotus is sure that America, the Internet stadium, will definitely have a place for a rookie like Song Yang in the future!
"Wang An's company will cooperate with Hotmail. We hope this project can be completed as soon as possible!" Jotus said to Song Yang when he got up.

Once it is determined to invest in Hotmail mailboxes, Wang An's mailbox business will have to be adjusted, and some businesses will even be abandoned. However, once Hotmail mailboxes really become the overlord of the email industry, relying on this project, Wang An The company is big enough to make a lot of money, and his reputation as Jotus's discerning eye will be even more prosperous!

After Jotus left, Song Yang called Wesley in charge of two new projects.

"Jotus and Wang An Company have agreed to invest in Hotmail mailboxes. Funds and technical personnel will arrive soon. I hope this project can be completed within two months!"

Now it is approaching mid-July of 1995, Song Yang wants to make Hotmail mailbox as soon as possible, and then promote it, blow up the Hotmail mailbox balloon, and wait until Christmas, the number of users of Hotmail mailbox must be at least tens of millions. All right, then there will be big money owners coming to take the offer.

(End of this chapter)