Microsoft launches social network So.cl
A social network, but not a competitor to Facebook: Microsoft has launched a communication platform for students called So.cl. The platform is still in an experimental phase, the company explained in a blog post.
Besides So.cl initially only accessible to students at three U.S. universities. Other universities are to be added over time. o.cl (pronounced like "social") is aimed at students who are involved in social media, explained Microsoft's Fuse Labs, which developed the service. Users are supposed to be able to find fellow students with similar interests and set up communities with them around specific learning goals.
Search queries on the network are published to alert other members to potentially interesting content. As with Facebook, users can publish posts consisting of text, photos and videos.
The service is expressly not intended to be a competitor to Facebook, Twitter or Google. "So.cl is not intended to replace existing, comprehensive search engines and social networks," the website states. Microsoft has a stake in Facebook and cooperates closely with the industry leader, for example in online network searches. (SDA)
