SlideShare Secures $3M for Embeddable Presentations
Sometimes the simplest ideas are best. While a number of startups are working to bring the whole process of creating presentations online, SlideShare recognizes that many people are mostly satisfied with PowerPoint or Keynote.
Context & Ripple Effects
SlideShare began as an upload-and-share service for PowerPoint and OpenOffice files, making presentations distributable on the web without asking users to abandon familiar desktop tools. Its $3 million financing backs that publishing-and-embedding model as SlideRocket enters private beta with a browser-based presentation-creation alternative.
First-order effects
- SlideShare gains capital to develop and distribute a service aimed at people who create in PowerPoint or Keynote but need web sharing and embedding.
- SlideRocket faces a better-funded rival whose approach complements existing desktop presentation workflows rather than replacing them.
Second-order effects
- Presentation-software users gain a clearer split between browser-native creation and web distribution of files made in established desktop tools, forcing providers to distinguish their workflow advantages.
- Sites that embed presentations become part of SlideShare's distribution channel, making reach and reuse more important competitive measures than creation features alone.
Third-order effects
- If users keep authoring presentations in desktop software, presentation startups are likely to compete around hosting, discovery and embedding rather than trying to displace the authoring tools outright.
The trend: Web presentation services are separating the creation layer from the distribution layer, with embedding turning static files into portable web media.