Ning (website)
{{short description|Online platform for people and organizations to create custom social networks}}
{{Infobox website
| name = Ning, Inc.
| logo = Ning-logo.png
| company_type = Subsidiary
| type =
| foundation = Palo Alto, California ({{Start date|2004}})[http://about.ning.com/corporate/history/ "Corporate Info, History"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110730162457/http://about.ning.com/corporate/history/ |date=2011-07-30 }}, Ning. Retrieved June 12, 2011.
| founder = {{Unbulleted list| Gina Bianchini | Marc Andreessen }}
| dissolved =
| location = Palo Alto, California, U.S.
| locations =
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| url = {{URL|https://www.ning.com}}
| ipv6 =
| website_type = Social networking service, Community building platform
| advertising =
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| language = Multilingual
| launch_date = October 2005[http://blog.ning.com/2005/10/ok_i_am_excited.html Ok, I am excited] by Gina Bianchini, Ning Blog, October 3, 2005
| screenshot =
| caption = Screenshot of {{URL|http://www.ning.com}}
}}
Ning is an online social media network platform for people and organizations to create custom social networks.[http://www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9990635 Social Graph-iti], The Economist, Oct 18, 2007 Ning was co-founded by Marc Andreessen and Gina Bianchini and launched in October 2005. By June 2011 there were over 90,000 social websites running on the Ning Platform.[https://blogs.forbes.com/tomiogeron/2011/06/15/with-revenue-up-400-ning-adds-paid-access-service/ With Revenue Up 400%, Ning Adds Paid Access Service], Tomio Geron, Forbes, June 15, 2011
History
Ning started development in October 2004 and launched its platform publicly in October 2005.[http://www.news.com/Andreessen-adds-some-Ning-to-the-Web/2100-1032_3-5890005.html?tag=st.nl Andreessen adds some Ning to the Web], by Martin LaMonica, CNET news, Oct 6, 2005
At its launch, Ning was a free-form platform for the development and hosting of open-source "social applications". The source code for Ning applications was available to users so that anyone could fork a Ning application, modify its PHP code and run it as their own. In late September 2006, Ning narrowed its focus to offering a group website, a photos website, and a videos website for people to copy and use for any purpose. These three templates were later superseded by a single customizable application aimed at enabling anyone to easily create their own social network.
Ning was initially funded internally by Bianchini, Andreessen and angel investors. In July 2007, Ning raised US$44 million in venture capital, led by Legg Mason.[http://blog.pmarca.com/2007/07/ning-news-new-i.html Ning news: new investment round] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071020094534/http://blog.pmarca.com/2007/07/ning-news-new-i.html |date=2007-10-20 }}, by Marc Andreessen, blog.pmarca.com, Jul 9, 2007 In 2008 and 2009, the company announced it had raised an additional US$75 million in capital.[http://blog.pmarca.com/2008/04/ning-news-serie.html Ning news: Series D investment round] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090129155521/http://blog.pmarca.com/2008/04/ning-news-serie.html |date=2009-01-29 }}, by Marc Andreessen, April 18, 2008[http://allthingsd.com/20090721/ning-raises-15-million-more-at-a-yes-really-750-million-valuation/ Ning Raises $15 Million More at a–Yes, Really–$750 Million Valuation], by Kara Swisher, AllThingsD.com, July 21, 2009
On April 15, 2010, CEO Jason Rosenthal announced that the free service would be suspended, and 41% of the employees would be laid off. Users of the free service had the option to either upgrade to a paid account or transition their content from Ning.{{cite web |last1=Kincaid |first1=Jason |title=Ning's Bubble Bursts: No More Free Networks, Cuts 40% Of Staff |url=https://techcrunch.com/2010/04/15/nings-bubble-bursts-no-more-free-networks-cuts-40-of-staff/ |website=TechCrunch |access-date=10 February 2022 |date=15 April 2010}} In 2011, Ning was purchased by Glam Media{{Cite news|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/glam-media-buys-marc-andreessens-ning-2011-9|title=Glam Media Buys Marc Andreessen's Ning|work=Business Insider|access-date=2018-10-12}}{{Cite news|url=https://techcrunch.com/2011/09/20/glam-buys-ning-andreessen-joins-board/|title=Glam Buys Ning For $150 Million, Andreessen Joins Board|work=TechCrunch|access-date=2018-10-12|language=en-US}} and then officially acquired by Mode Media.{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2016/digital/news/mode-media-shuts-down-1201862679/|title=Mode Media Shuts Down: Women-Focused Digital Player Once Valued at $1 Billion|last=Spangler|first=Todd|date=2016-09-16|work=Variety|access-date=2018-10-12|language=en-US}}
Features
Ning allows users to create their own communities and social networks around specific interests with their own visual design, choice of features and member data.[http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/tech/article/0,2777,DRMN_23910_5394821,00.html Web pioneer touts Ning Inc. as easy to use social network] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090531135445/http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/tech/article/0,2777,DRMN_23910_5394821,00.html |date=2009-05-31 }}, by Michael Liedtke, Rocky Mountain News, Mar 5, 2007 Ning provides several core features, including opportunities for monetization, integration with other social networks, chat, email services, forums, polls and analytics.{{Cite web|url=https://creators.ning.com/|title=Ning Creators Social Network|website=creators.ning.com|access-date=2017-10-31}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.ning.com/what-is-ning/|title=How to create your own social network {{!}} NING Social Platform in use|work=NING|access-date=2017-10-31|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.ning.com/features/|title=NING Features: Create & cultivate your unique community website|work=NING|access-date=2017-10-31|language=en-US}} Customers are also able to map a Ning social network to a custom domain.{{Cite news|url=https://www.lifewire.com/what-is-ning-3486403|title=What Is Ning and Is It Worth Using?|work=Lifewire|access-date=2018-10-12|language=en}}
The social networks running on Ning's service are programmed with PHP and the platform itself is built in Java.[http://www.news.com/Andreessen-PHP-succeeding-where-Java-isnt/2100-1012_3-5903187.html Andreessen: PHP succeeding where Java isn't], by Stephen Shankland, CNET News, Oct 19, 2005 Since October 2010, social networks using Ning can be administered through an iOS application.[http://blog.ning.com/2010/10/just-one-more-thing%E2%80%A6.html Just one more thing…], Evan Goldin on October 20, 2010
In February 2018, Ning launched a monetization platform, enabling users to earn an income from their social websites.{{Cite news|url=https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/ning-a-social-website-builder-is-putting-forth-two-major-updates-landing-page-builder-and-the-ideal-payment-method-integration-1027493870|title=NING, a Social Website Builder, is Putting Forth Two Major Updates: Landing Page Builder and the iDeal Payment Method Integration {{!}} Markets Insider|last=GmbH|first=finanzen.net|work=markets.businessinsider.com|access-date=2018-10-12}}
See also
{{Portal|San Francisco Bay Area|Companies|Internet}}
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- {{official website|http://www.ning.com/}}
{{Social network}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ning (Website)}}
Category:American social networking websites
Category:Companies based in Palo Alto, California
Category:Internet properties established in 2005