This was the claim last night from Om Malik, quoting 'unnamed sources' close to Six Apart and Live Journal. Apparently, the deal (for an undisclosed amount) will be a mixture of cash and stock and is due to be announced very soon.
If this is indeed the case, an acquisition of this kind would signal the start of Six Apart's competitive strategy versus Google's Blogger and Microsoft's MSN Spaces, allowing them to buy into a massive user base and probably providing them with a free entry-level blogging service, presumably adding paid-for premium services to memberships. Additionally, joining the two companies' technologies - both Perl-based - could also lead to an enhanced product for both parties.
This would establish Six Apart as one of the world's largest blog companies, with an estimated 6.5 million users. Many of these could presumably be converted as fee-paying customers for both TypePad and Movable Type, depending on requirements.
All of this makes for some tremendously exciting news for Headshift, given our recent agreement with Loic Le Meur and Alistair Shrimpton to work with Six Apart as one of their UK implementation partners.
"Many of these could presumably be converted as fee-paying customers for both TypePad and Movable Type, depending on requirements."
I don't think that - that is a safe assumption. Look at the stats:
http://worcester.typepad.com/pc4media/2005/01/let_the_bloggin.html
Livejournal has premium versions and they have been unable to convert their members to paying subscribers. This makes sense. Most of their subscribers are teenagers.
"Additionally, joining the two companies' technologies - both Perl-based - could also lead to an enhanced product for both parties."
This is an interesting point, though. The only issue is that lj is open source. Will MT go open source. Not a chance, since they sell software.
There are some serious issues here with integration of the two companies.
This was an acquisition to boost market share and prevent the big boys (yahoo, msn and aol) from getting into the space in a meaningful way. All that is left is xanga and the host of sites that fall under the social software moniker which have blogging capabilities.