ManyOne
Encyclopedia
ManyOne Networks was an Internet services (linked to from the Optimal World website) company headquartered in Los Gatos, California
that declared Chapter 7 Bankruptcy on October 12, 2009. With technology purchased from the original company, a new ManyOne began operations on Sept. 13, 2011. Both the original company and its successor are pioneers in a new kind of business structure.
, an Internet entrepreneur, Web visionary, and former CEO of USWeb
, a $3B company at its peak, and Ann Druyan
, a science writer and widow of astronomer Carl Sagan
, who co-wrote the PBS series Cosmos with Sagan and later co-produced the 1997 film Contact
, starring Jodie Foster
.
One Cosmos was to be a science-based education and entertainment portal using advanced graphics and other innovative Web capabilities. The inspiration, according to Firmage, came from Sagan’s reference in Cosmos to an Encyclopedia Galactica—a term borrowed from Isaac Asimov—referring to a fictional repository of universal knowledge. Approximately $11M in venture capital was spent before One Cosmos was terminated by its Silicon Valley financial backers during the Internet bubble collapse of 2000.
The concept of One Cosmos was merged with BarterFarm, an internet services company founded by Jon Firmage and David Eilers, at the beginning of 2002 to form ManyOne Networks. Ideas gained from One Cosmos formed the conceptual basis for ManyOne Networks, while Barterfarm provided other intellectual property. Recent evidence shows that both companies had similar business models.
project, described in company announcements as a "PBS of the Web." In addition to an online encyclopedia, the Digital Universe aspires to become an archive of information, a multimedia learning center, news source, and directory of the Web. To create a domain of credible, non-commercial, advertising-free information, the volunteer efforts of a world-wide network of experts and educators (referred to as “stewards” by the company) is necessary. To enable this, a second foundation, the non-profit Digital Universe Foundation, has been set up by the company.
The Digital Universe Foundation is to be the organization that runs a worldwide stewardship program, and is to evolve independently of ManyOne Networks even though the rich-media capabilities of the ManyOne browser are tailored to deliver the optimal experience of Digital Universe content, such as 3D rendering. The entire software and technology is slated to become open-source and access to the Digital Universe via other browsers is planned, although with a loss of some presentation features. The ManyOne browser itself will be free.
In March 2006, the Associated Press
reported that to fund the venture, the Digital Universe site would "sell monthly subscriptions that let visitors get additional content and features, many of them offered by for-profit third parties, such as film producers, game makers, map providers and book publishers." The monthly fee was to include an e-mail service offered by Digital Universe, and academics and others contributing content were to get 25% of the proceeds.
During 2006, ManyOne shifted into building what it called the "Public Internet Media System", which it described as "a service that empowers non-profits, companies, agencies and individuals to build and operate financially self-sustaining community and web portals." In a January 2006 press release, the company had similarly said "partners will be able to quickly create specialized portals for their members, complete with all the multimedia capabilities of the Digital Universe, Internet access, world class e-mail, Universal Instant Messaging and 24/7 customer and technical support. They were also supposed to be able to add specialized multimedia or ordinary website content, if they chose.
In May 2007, Time Magazine reported that in addition to third-party portals, the company planned to generate revenue by providing optional build-your-own-website service and email hosting for $7.95 a month.
Los Gatos, California
The Town of Los Gatos is an incorporated town in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The population was 29,413 at the 2010 census. It is located in the San Francisco Bay Area at the southwest corner of San Jose in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains...
that declared Chapter 7 Bankruptcy on October 12, 2009. With technology purchased from the original company, a new ManyOne began operations on Sept. 13, 2011. Both the original company and its successor are pioneers in a new kind of business structure.
Background
ManyOne was a successor to a project called One Cosmos. One Cosmos was a partnership between Joe FirmageJoe Firmage
Joseph Firmage is an American Internet entrepreneur. He founded several business ventures prior to and during the dot-com boom and currently is involved with two closely linked organizations: ManyOne Networks, of which he is CEO, and the Digital Universe Foundation, of which he is a co-founder and...
, an Internet entrepreneur, Web visionary, and former CEO of USWeb
USWeb
USWeb is currently an Internet marketing company going by the same name as the original USWeb of the 1990s. The original USWeb was founded as a web design and site engineering company which expanded during the dot-com boom into online strategy consulting and online marketing...
, a $3B company at its peak, and Ann Druyan
Ann Druyan
Ann Druyan is an American author and producer specializing in productions about cosmology and popular science. She made substantial contributions to the PBS documentary series, Cosmos, and was the wife of late scientist and educator, Carl Sagan.-Film career:Along with Carl Sagan and Steven Soter,...
, a science writer and widow of astronomer Carl Sagan
Carl Sagan
Carl Edward Sagan was an American astronomer, astrophysicist, cosmologist, author, science popularizer and science communicator in astronomy and natural sciences. He published more than 600 scientific papers and articles and was author, co-author or editor of more than 20 books...
, who co-wrote the PBS series Cosmos with Sagan and later co-produced the 1997 film Contact
Contact (film)
Contact is a 1997 American science fiction drama film adapted from the Carl Sagan novel of the same name and directed by Robert Zemeckis. Both Sagan and wife Ann Druyan wrote the story outline for the film adaptation of Contact....
, starring Jodie Foster
Jodie Foster
Alicia Christian "Jodie" Foster is an American actress, film director, producer as well as a former child actress....
.
One Cosmos was to be a science-based education and entertainment portal using advanced graphics and other innovative Web capabilities. The inspiration, according to Firmage, came from Sagan’s reference in Cosmos to an Encyclopedia Galactica—a term borrowed from Isaac Asimov—referring to a fictional repository of universal knowledge. Approximately $11M in venture capital was spent before One Cosmos was terminated by its Silicon Valley financial backers during the Internet bubble collapse of 2000.
The concept of One Cosmos was merged with BarterFarm, an internet services company founded by Jon Firmage and David Eilers, at the beginning of 2002 to form ManyOne Networks. Ideas gained from One Cosmos formed the conceptual basis for ManyOne Networks, while Barterfarm provided other intellectual property. Recent evidence shows that both companies had similar business models.
Digital Universe
The creation of an Encyclopedia Galactica has been replaced by a more ambitious Digital UniverseDigital Universe
Digital Universe is a free online information service founded in 2006. The project aims to create a "network of portals designed to provide high-quality information and services to the public"...
project, described in company announcements as a "PBS of the Web." In addition to an online encyclopedia, the Digital Universe aspires to become an archive of information, a multimedia learning center, news source, and directory of the Web. To create a domain of credible, non-commercial, advertising-free information, the volunteer efforts of a world-wide network of experts and educators (referred to as “stewards” by the company) is necessary. To enable this, a second foundation, the non-profit Digital Universe Foundation, has been set up by the company.
The Digital Universe Foundation is to be the organization that runs a worldwide stewardship program, and is to evolve independently of ManyOne Networks even though the rich-media capabilities of the ManyOne browser are tailored to deliver the optimal experience of Digital Universe content, such as 3D rendering. The entire software and technology is slated to become open-source and access to the Digital Universe via other browsers is planned, although with a loss of some presentation features. The ManyOne browser itself will be free.
Business operations
Firmage invested all the money he had in the company; an additional $12 million has come from Angel investors. At its height, around March 2006, it had about 50 employees.In March 2006, the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
reported that to fund the venture, the Digital Universe site would "sell monthly subscriptions that let visitors get additional content and features, many of them offered by for-profit third parties, such as film producers, game makers, map providers and book publishers." The monthly fee was to include an e-mail service offered by Digital Universe, and academics and others contributing content were to get 25% of the proceeds.
During 2006, ManyOne shifted into building what it called the "Public Internet Media System", which it described as "a service that empowers non-profits, companies, agencies and individuals to build and operate financially self-sustaining community and web portals." In a January 2006 press release, the company had similarly said "partners will be able to quickly create specialized portals for their members, complete with all the multimedia capabilities of the Digital Universe, Internet access, world class e-mail, Universal Instant Messaging and 24/7 customer and technical support. They were also supposed to be able to add specialized multimedia or ordinary website content, if they chose.
In May 2007, Time Magazine reported that in addition to third-party portals, the company planned to generate revenue by providing optional build-your-own-website service and email hosting for $7.95 a month.