Multiply.com quits social networking

Time to transfer those photos and videos.

 

Mutliply.com announced on Thursday that it will stop its social networking functions in December, choosing to focus instead on its electronic commerce operations in Indonesia and the Philippines.

 

“From December 1st, we will unfortunately no longer be able to support Multiply in its current form - notably we will be removing the social networking and content sharing part of Multiply (photos, videos, blogs, social messaging, etc.),” Stefan Magdalinski, chief executive officer at Multiply Global, said in a statement posted on its website.

 

With the rise of Facebook as the dominant player in the social networking arena, Multiply had sought to differentiate itself from competitors by highlighting itself as the ‘social shopping’ hub for online marketers.

 

“For our existing users of social networking features, we will be providing easy ways for you to either download your stuff (photos, blogs, content, etc), or migrate it to other online services,” he noted, saying that they will announce the file migration details soon.

 

The eight-year-old service, which claimed to be the “biggest and beloved” e-commerce marketplace in Indonesia and the Philippines, will now focus on its e-commerce platform.

 

“Our singular focus now is for Multiply to retain its status as a vibrant e-commerce destination in Southeast Asia in the years ahead,” Magdalinski noted.

 

To gear up for the anticipated service transfer, Multiply launched last June its “Merchant Dashboard” that provides technology solutions to its online sellers. 

 

The new feature provides detailed product listing, inventory management, and order tracking.

 

The website likewise put up a buyer protection program that aims to safeguard online shoppers from fraudulent merchants and scammers.  

 

Currently, about 130,000 Multiply users in the Philippines are involved with online selling. — TJD, GMA News