Content services
Content Services Overview
The Content Services Team was formed in late 2013 to explore opportunities that will provide additional value to our users, strongly align with our mission, and over time, generate new sources of diversified revenue.
We are particularly fascinated by the content ecosystem online – which is one of the primary currencies of the web. How does content get distributed? How does content get monetized? How can we create better content experiences for our users? All questions we continue to ask ourselves.
A group of Mozillians from the Steering Committee and Firefox team evaluated more than two dozen revenue related proposals in late 2013. Each idea we considered was closely evaluated on whether it resulted in incremental value to our users, aligned with our mission and values, and had the potential to significantly impact our sustainability over time.
Below are the initial projects we decided to test..
Product Roadmaps
Directory Tiles
- Every time a user opens up a new tab in Firefox, the browser displays Tiles. Frequent Firefox users see screenshots of the websites they visit most often in their Tiles. We look to leverage the Tiles on our New Tab pages and make them a source of revenue for Mozilla. There are a few opportunities that we will test in market (first in pre-release channels) within 2014 and the first of which is to provide sponsored content on First-Run-Tiles known as Directory Tiles. This should begin testing in Q2/3 and we will then work on additional Tile enhancements outside of First-Run.
Voices
- We look to roll out a PBS/NPR style web-based content series about our Mozilla curated view of the world. This content series will go live weekly and be promoted across the Mozilla footprint. We will work with selected underwriters to sponsor this content to generate meaningful revenue.
UP/Intent Engine
- UP is our Intent Engine for across Mozilla that helps us deliver personalization platforms for all of our products and services. Our 2014 strategy is to keep building our UP platform to make it available to the desktop, OS, services, and other products and have the bridges built this year that each product team has the ability to read/write to it. We will do limited tests in Q2/3/4 of this year to test different Intent Engine modules (such as tasks, discovery, personalization, ads). Within UP, we have a particular focus around Intentcasting and VRM.
Content Services Roadmap
Q1 2014: Grow Team - We’ll start by hiring a small team of paid staff who can dedicate the majority of their time thinking about how to develop and execute these initiatives. We’ll also look to grow support within the Mozillian community by exploring opportunities for participation and through regular dialog.
Q2 2014: Directory Tiles Launch & Grow Team
Q3 2014: Voices Soft Launch, Grow Team & UP testing
Q4 2014: UP Testing, Voices Launch & Grow Team
Content Services Resources
Doc Searls' Intention Economy Book.
Check out our Official Content Services Blog.
Watch the Directory Tiles Town Hall on AirMozilla.
If you’re interested in what we are doing, we’d love for you to subscribe to our group and contribute to the discussions. We are also actively hiring, so if you’re interested in joining our team, check out Mozilla’s careers page for opportunities. We have lots to talk about in the coming weeks and months!
In the meantime, if you have anything to add, feel free to reach out to the Content Services Team