Linden Lab acquires CasperTech in Second Life

[Sid]

Blog post here.

I like it.
After all when you use the system, one has to give permission to withdraw money from ones account if needed.
Being it under LL responsibility makes it a bit more secure IMHO.
So who knows, I'm gonna trow in an inworld shop again in the future.

 

[Khamon]

Seems legit. I've always wondered why they didn't acquire a land rental system and incorporate it into the client. Did I just run the rail into a wall?

 

[Tirellia]

I like it too. It's proven tech too.

 

[Sid]

I just read on the LL forum someone making a very good point.
This take over has to be a business case for LL. So there has to be something in it financially in the future, right?

That makes you think, what cards do they have up their sleeves for the future?
Only available for premium plus merchants?
Percentage of sales just like on the marketplace to sink more L$?
A combination of the two.

I think I wait a while before I start to use Casper Vend now I come to think of it.

 

[Caete]

The notice from CasperTech:


Dear valued customer,

You are receiving this communication because you are a registered user of CasperTech services related to
Second Life (CasperVend, CasperLet, or CasperSafe). We don’t communicate like this very often, but we have
some really exciting news to share!

CasperTech has provided various business-related services within Second Life for 13 years. Over that time,
we have been proud to provide continuous service for tens of thousands of Second Life businesses, and have
remained steadfast to our commitment to the merchants who depend on us.

Today we announce the next step in our journey. We are delighted to share that the Second Life portion of
CasperTech is being acquired by Linden Research, Inc.

Not only will this move ensure that all of our services will continue to operate without interruption into the
foreseeable future, but it also opens up brand new opportunities to vastly improve the experience for our
users.

You can expect to see the same great services that you know and love continue on, but with closer integration
into the Second Life ecosystem – and as such, an even more reliable and convenient experience.

As part of this process, the entity that controls your data (the “data controller”) will change from CasperTech Ltd,
a United Kingdom based company, to Linden Research, Inc, a company based in the United States. This means
that the data we hold about you, and on your behalf, will transfer ownership and jurisdiction.

You have the right to object to your data being transferred to Linden Research, Inc, by requesting the deletion
of your data prior to this transfer instead, if you wish. You can view information on the data that we hold on
your behalf, and request deletion, using our GDPR tool: CasperTech GDPR Tool. If you have difficulty with
this tool for any reason, please email gdpr-legal@caspertech.co.uk with your request. In order to take effect
before the transfer, deletion requests must be activated by 5pm UK time on Monday, 19th of September.
Otherwise your data will be transferred to Linden Research, Inc, although you can still request that your data
is deleted by them afterwards.

Information about how Linden Research, Inc protects personal data can be found at

Privacy Policy | Linden Lab.

We hope that you are as excited about this change as we are, and we thank you for your continued support
as we all step boldly into the future together!

Sincerely Yours,

Casper Warden and the CasperTech Team

 

[Archer]

I think it might also be a risk reduction move for LL. If Casper were to suddenly disappear from the grid, think of the huge hit that would be. A large chunk of the economy would flounder until a replacement is installed and up and running.

 

[Noodles]

I think it might also be a risk reduction move for LL. If Casper were to suddenly disappear from the grid, think of the huge hit that would be. A large chunk of the economy would flounder until a replacement is installed and up and running.

Yeah, I was almost wondering if Casper wanted to get out but knew they are carrying that load and went to LL to ask if they wanted to take over.

 

[Sid]

Yes, if Casper would have pulled out just like what happened with the Hippo rental servers back in the days, that would be very bad for LL and merchants who heavily rely on the Casper vendors inworld.
So yes, basically it is a good thing, but there is sadly the LL factor to consider.

- XStreet was free for the customers... marketplace isn't neither for the customers or the creators.
- Caspervend is free for the customers and costs the creator only a commission ('free version') or the purchase amount .... where will it end under LL?

Plus LL has a reputation when it comes to implement new things ....

 

[Free]

Plus LL has a reputation when it comes to implement new things ....

They've also been known for buying up some product or service just to get their hands on an underlying technology, and letting the rest die. I can see the possibility here, where the primary CasperVend components are meshed into a MarketplaceVend solution, whereas the other features that make for an adequate set of business tools are dropped in favor of the pre-existing SL account tools.

 

[Madi Perth]

This is the very reason that I know of a few rental business that are not going to be comfortable with this new arrangement. Is LL going to insist on getting its beak wet by taking a share of the rental market, if so how much will that be. That could be a real strain on some of the smaller companies. An what if LL does it just to gut the system? For me, this looks like a business opportunity for someone to come up with a new system.

 

[nebula]

I would pay LL a commission on each sale if I could use the marketplace tab to have things delivered instead of shitty in-world prim servers. Like that is a service I would gladly let them take a % for like they do on the marketplace. I don't see this brought up a lot, but using the tab in the viewer to list stuff to the mp was WAYYYY better than prim servers. Also when my region is down people couldn't buy shit from my vendors because hurr Durr cant send. So I am really hoping ll implements new functionality like this into Casper vend. I would really be on board for it.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

This Lab Gab, with Casper Warden and Patch Linden, is worth listening to


To my mind, the way Casper and Patch explain it in the video and in forum posts makes a lot of sense -- LL wanted to build on Casper's systems as a tried and tested method of delivering objects and messages, and Casper wanted to be freed from the admin of running the in-world business and to concentrate on developing the product, and eventually they agreed that LL's acquiring the in-world business, with Casper continuing to work on the coding, was the best way forward.

That seems a very good solution.

I think, too, that being able to feel confident that Casper's various products won't one day simply vanish, as did the Hippo stuff, is a great bonus.

 

[Sid]

Yes, that is the positive aspect for sure. Casper vend is to big to let if vanish all of a sudden.
But knowing the history of LL when they start to fiddle with things... that makes me on the "I don't know yet"-side of things regarding to this move.

 

[Aribeth Zelin]

I'm a bit nervous, but I've also not release much in new products in a few years, what with everything else going on.

 

[Essence Lumin]

There was a time when all transfers between dollars and Lindens was handled by non Linden companies but that is ancient history. There was one company in particular whose name escapes me right now.

 

[Cristalle]

There was a time when all transfers between dollars and Lindens was handled by non Linden companies but that is ancient history. There was one company in particular whose name escapes me right now.

Jevn?

I see the upsides, but I also imagine that LL is going to monetize this and thus increase costs to everyone. Why else would they do this?

 

[Essence Lumin]

Jevn?

It was Gaming Open Market

Edited to add a snapshot from the Wayback Machine

 

[Bartholomew Gallacher]

A good day for Casper, a bad day for us and another money grab for Linden Lab.

 

[Monica Dream]

It was Gaming Open Market

Edited to add a snapshot from the Wayback Machine

 

[Khamon]

I am posting naked but for a modern concern. LL use Caspervend to distribute premium gifts; there also used to be a store where premiums could claim copies of previous gifts. Does anybody know if that still exists and, if so, where it is?