Qigo: Keys for Web sites
Can you sell physical tokens to access Web sites? Qigo is launching its “keys” for Internet content at the D5 conference. Qigo keys are nothing more than USB sticks with a small executables that fire up Web content, and a unique identifier in each. So when you put a Qigo key in your PC or Mac, it launches a Web site, perhaps with exclusive or personalized content. When you remove the key, the site closes.
It’s a marketing ploy, and it has some potential. Qigo keys can be made into collectible items thanks to the addition of fancy plastics and graphics, and they can be sold or given away as promotional items.
Content can be locked to keys, so it can only be displayed when the key is in a computer. I don’t know how robust the security on this system is. Or, frankly, if it matters terribly much. I think Qigo will be a convenience play. It can be used to automate logins to multiplayer games, for example. It could also be used for kids’ sites — to launch restricted online services that keep kids from exploring the wild Web.
Qigo’s plan is to sell its key manufacturing and data management services to big brands that want to give their online products some presence in the real world.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 30th, 2007 at 5:44 pm and is filed under General, world wide web. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
