FACEBOOK V/S

ORKUT
By
Name: - JAIN GARIMA PRADEEP
Class: - S.Y.B.M.S
Div: - ‘A’
Semester: - IV Th
Roll no: - 45
A project Report submitted in partial
fulfillment of the examination of the
subject “Research Methods in Business” in
“Usha Pravin Gandhi College of
Management” March 2010

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

1
I owe a great thanks to the people
who helped me in choosing this topic
for the research report.
My deepest thanks to Professor
“Mayur Vyas” who helped with great
attention & care.

2
Section Description Page
no.
I INTRODUCTION 1-2
II RESEARCH OBJECTIVES 3
III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 4

IV RESEARCH FINDINGS & 5-35

DISCUSSIONS

V CONCLUSION 36
VI APPENDIX 37-38
a) QUESIONNIARE
b) BIBLOGRAPHY
TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION
In this rapid globalization era we are
spreading our social relationship vigorously.
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Building up relations and spreading our
relations make us crazy. When it comes to
online social networking, websites are
commonly used. These websites are known
as social networking sites. Social networking
websites function like an online community
of internet users. Social networking sites,
sometimes referred to as "friend-of-a-friend"
sites, build upon the concept of traditional
social networks, where you are connected to
new people through people you already
know. The purpose of some networking sites
may be purely social, allowing users to
establish friendships or romantic
relationships, while others may focus on
establishing business connections.
Although there are many social networking
site among them orkut, facebook, hi5,
twitter, MySpace are most known. Due to no.
of players in the same market there are huge
competitions among them. When the
question of tough competition in India comes
it is definitely between orkut and facebook.
Facebook and Orkut are two of the most
popular social networking sites, with both
offering very similar features and
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capabilities. Facebook is a 3 and a half year
old social network for friendship and a
community hub, while orkut handled by
Google was triggered into action on January
2004

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
1. Background
2. Why people have switched off from
orkut to facebook?
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3. Market share of facebook & orkut.
4. What Makes Facebook Win Over Orkut?
5. What the Indians looking ahead for
facebook and orkut?
6. Reasons for users liking facebook or
orkut!!!
7. 10 Ways Orkut Can Compete with
Facebook.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
To attain the above research objectives we
carried out an explanatory study and
collected data from both sources i.e.
1.Primary data

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 2.Secondary data
Data collection method:-
 Primary data is collected through a survey
conducted within the age group of 18-25
by a well designed questionnaire in
attachment named “G”.

 Secondary data is collected from the

internet, newspaper articles & magazines.

RESEARCH FINDINGS &

DISCUSSIONS
Research findings of this research paper can
be accumulated and discussed as under:-
 From Secondary Data:-
Social networking sites are the best ways
to find friends easily around the world.
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 The most important sites are facebook
and orkut. The facebook is famous in the
North America which has an origin at the
Harvard University. The orkut is a social
networking site from the Google.
Facebook has a higher market share than
the orkut. The orkut gained its popularity
mainly in the country called India.

 From Primary Data:-

Questionnaire is attached after the
research but questions asked in the
survey with overall view are shown
below:-

QUESSIONNAIRE: - FACEBOOK
ORKUT
1. Do you run accounts on both websites?
Which do you prefer?
 58%
42%

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2. Which site is more professional looking?
65%
 35%
3. In which of them you like gaming the
most?
72%
 28%
4. In which you can view people's profiles
more easily whether friend or not?
20%
 80%
5. In which website you feel you more
secured?
85%
15%
6. Which is the most popular social
networking site in India?
53%
47%
7. Whom do you feel has a well integrated
homepage?

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82%
18%
8. By using which site you have come
closer to your old friends?
49%
51%
9. By using which site you have made
friends whom you have never known
before?
39%
61%

BACKGROUND

Facebook and Orkut are two of the most

popular social networking sites, with both
offering very similar features and
capabilities. Comparing Face Book vs. Orkut
from a market share perspective will show
you that both are considerably behind
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MySpace with Facebook owning just over
11.5% of the market share and Orkut having
less than 1%. Facebook has become very
popular in North America over the last few
months whereas Orkut is extremely popular
in India.

Market share:-
Social networking sites are the best ways to
find friends easily around the world. The
most important sites are facebook and orkut.
The facebook is famous in the North America
which has an origin at the Harvard
University. The orkut is a social networking
11
site from the Google. Facebook has a higher
market share than the orkut. The orkut
gained its popularity mainly in the country
called India. Facebook and orkut had their
own features in attracting the users of the
social networking sites. Let we see some of
the differences between these sites and
discuss some of the important features
available in these sites.

Remarkable Differences between them:

The Facebook allows you to have specialized

layouts for the people and helps you to share
your photos with others. The orkut provides

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you with the number of times of a particular
profile visited by others. As the orkut is
connected with the Google chat, people can
chat with their friends simultaneously in
spending time with these social networking
sites. The facebook provides you with most
fascinating look and allows you to customize
the view according to your requirement and
mood. Thus start account in these sites to
find friends all over the world.

Why people have switched off from orkut

to facebook?
Facebook and Orkut are two of the most
popular social networking sites, with both
offering very similar features and
capabilities.
Comparing Face Book vs. Orkut from a
market share perspective will show you that
both are considerably behind MySpace with
Facebook owning just over 11.5% of the
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market share and Orkut having less than 1%.
Facebook has become very popular in North
America over the last few months whereas
Orkut is extremely popular in India.
I do have access to both an Orkut and
Facebook account and find myself using
Facebook the majority of the time. I actually
prefer Facebook when comparing Facebook
vs. Orkut from a usability perspective, here's
why:-

From an overall cosmetic point of view,

Facebook is a much more professional
looking whereas Orkut looks somewhat
unfinished.
1. Facebook’s Mini Feed feature is useful in
seeing a quick snapshot on the latest
happenings within your network

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2. The ease at which you can customize
layouts within Face Book, especially the drag
and drop option.

3. The ability to supply how you know a

person (through school, other friends, work,
randomly, etc...). This is especially
interesting when you and one your contacts
know the same person, but through different
ways.

What Makes Facebook Win Over Orkut?

I was quite surprised to see the news in the
headlines today about the deal of Microsoft
with the social networking site Facebook.
Facebook is a 3 and a half year old social
network for friendship and a community hub.
Microsoft’s entry into the social networking
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venue has raised quite a many eyebrows over
the fact that, Microsoft paid $240 million
price for 1.6% stake in Facebook.
This clears the view, world’s largest
software maker, crudely wanted to deepen
its relationship with a startup that didn’t
have $200 million in annual revenue. This
deal was the only thing which made me to
open an account with Facebook. The only
other friendship community I am associated
till now was Orkut which in my opinion
definitely gives a far more friendly user
experience than Face Book, especially now
after having registered with Facebook.I did
look around for the reason as to why users
prefer Face Book over Orkut and was
surprised to see that Facebook users are
more than the number of Orkut user.
What the Indians looking ahead for
facebook and orkut?
For those who still unaware of Alexa’s
Ranking in India, Facebook overtook Orkut to
secure its position at Number 4 leaving
behind Orkut at Number 5. This article looks
at the fight from an Indian perspective and
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finds out the sustainable growth of Facebook
in India. Orkut is fighting the battle hard to
leave no stone unturned, but are still not
able to come with the right kind of
innovation needed.
Before we begin the analysis; it’s time to get
some facts straight. It’s a common myth that
Facebook was launched much later than
Orkut. However, the launch date of Orkut
was Jan 2004 while that of Facebook was Feb
2004 (hardly one month difference). So the
concept of Facebook gaining popularity in a
matter of just one year is not so correct.
Yes, the presence was felt much later in
India and it gained popularity in a short time
but the global launch dates were close. This
article, for a change uses Google Insights
( for those who are new to it…Try it out
folks… You would love it
http://www.google.com/insights/search )

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For analysis of Facebook and Orkut
(Probably, a lot of analysis has already gone
in using Alexa and others)
I am not going to take any stance on Orkut
and Facebook, but would like to present the
true picture. This article is basically meant
to shake up the underlying myths of many
social networking users, be it the Orkut
lovers or FB freaks. I decided two split the
article into two parts, the first one for the
Orkut Lovers (disheartening for FB users) and
the second one to cheer up the FB freaks
(some serious eye-openers for Orkut).
So you thought Facebook is GOD now…..!!!
World No.2 Alexa Ranking has still not
surpassed the real test…. For those who
keep themselves updated with Alexa
Rankings globally, Facebook ranks No.2;
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comprehensively beating Orkut (Brazil)
ranking no 42.

So it’s a known fact now that Facebook is

God and will be the best social networking
site in future. However, before drawing
inferences like these, let’s have a look at
past data (What Google Insights has to say)
Following Graph gives the popularity of Orkut
on a scale of 0-100. Data is available from
2004 and that’s the exact year when both
Orkut and FB were launched.

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This graph shows some interesting results.
Orkut attained its peak popularity in 2007
(hitting 100 on that scale) and did sustain it
for a year. However, the sustainability did
not last much and there were times when it
touched values below 70 (after 2007). This
suggests that people are looking in for a
change with changing times and if you are
not able to provide that, then you lose your
peak popularity.
Let’s have a look on Face book’s popularity.

The graph shows amazing results in terms of

ever increasing popularity over the period of
years. However, the concern to be addressed

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here is the peak time. FB has attained its
peak lately and the real test lies in
maintaining that peak. As we have seen in
the case of Orkut, the popularity went down
after one year of the peak time. Same could
happen for Facebook as well. Therefore, to
conclude that Facebook has become the king
is wrong. In fact, the graphs above reveal
that Orkut could attain its peak popularity in
just three years of its launch, whereas it
took almost five years for Facebook to do it.
(I know, Orkut lovers would give a Thumbs
UP here or as FB puts it “Like it” ). FB would
become the king if it can show the results
from this point of time (after 2009- So we
have to wait and watch)
Next, I would like to present one important
forecasted data that would justify the
purpose of this section- Orkut can make a
comeback, the game isn’t over yet.
Following graph presents the forecasted data
of Orkut’s popularity in the coming years:

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According to the extrapolated data, Orkut
would hit its peak again! Though I personally
agree to what many have to say about the
New Orkut (it’s just a copy of FB) but this is
what the data speaks. Moreover, it further
confirms to my proposition about people look
for change, when it comes to peak times.
New Orkut might not have been an
innovation, but all it has brought about is a
change!
The peak times in India has similar story to
share.

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This map of India was once full dark blue (in
2007) indicating maximum search volume
index, however it has faded and the light
blue colors are now visible for the latest data
available. This shows Orkut could not sustain
the peak. The peak of 2007 (Orkut’s case) is
clearly reflected in present (2009) map of
India for Facebook. Following map illustrates
it:

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This dark blue color, clearly demonstrates
the peak time for Facebook. The animated
slider from 2004 would clearly indicate a
move from faded blue to dark blue over a
period of years. So we all need time to really
assess FB and should not come to a
conclusion right now.
How Facebook Takes the Lead?
What Orkut Needs to Learn from Facebook?
This section would give some relief for the
Facebook lovers. We all do admire FB’s pace
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and innovation and these factors have made
it No.2 Website in the world.
Let’s have a look at Face book’s search
volume index in the Globe

The latest data on Global Search Volume

Index using Google Insights reveal that the
search index volume is 5 in India. If the index
is ranked, then India would rank 80 plus.
However, Orkut Global Search volume
reveals different figures. This is an
interesting case. With Orkut Search Volume
Index being 17 (almost three times that of
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FB), its rank in India should have been almost
three times that of Facebook. Surprisingly,
Facebook ranks ahead of Orkut in India. So
what does that indicate? FB has far low
search index volume than Orkut and still is
ahead in Alexa Rankings. This shows the TIME
factor. The best online business today does
not attack on money

But looks for TIME. They demand maximum

user time and build up applications in such a
way that maximum time spending is ensured
(chat, games, applications, quizzes).
Facebook assumed that users in India have
time to devote and they were true!.

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So this would be a lesson for Orkut, in its
coming new versions. The strategy should not
be to increase the user base (it already has
plenty), rather look for TIME factor (how to
ensure that existing users spend more time).
One more strategy followed by Facebook was
to invest in regions where Orkut had a strong
hold. Let’s look at the popularity (search
volume) graph of Orkut and Facebook in
India.

Compared to Figure-1 (global scenario),

Orkut has lost its popularity in India (2009)
and the difference is significant (20). This is
essentially because of the excessive
marketing of Facebook in India (introduction
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of FB in Indian Languages). It is also visible
by the peak FB achieved in 2009 in India
(Figure-9). However, the reverse never
happened. Orkut did not attack the regions
strongly held by Facebook. Those regions still
remain dominated by FB and Orkut is far
behind. The concept of people demanding
change is valid here too. Orkut should realize
the potential regions where saturation has
occurred (FB dominance) and try to
aggressively invest in those regions to gain
back its popularity.

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The main reasons for users liking Facebook
from what I found were:-
1. Simple and professional user interface
2. Explanation for being added as a
friend
3. Unique groups or communities
4. Security of user’s profile and
information
5. Many other fun applications

The reasons why users don’t like Orkut were

as follows:
1. Amateurish interface (as seen prior to
the new one I suppose)
2. Open scraps and profiles owing to less
security
3. No provision for providing reasons to
“Add as friend”
4. Repetitive groups or communities
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10 Ways Orkut Can Compete with
Facebook!!!!
Convincing some of my Indian friends that
Facebook has far more users than Google's
Orkut.  Although Orkut and Facebook was
launched almost at the same time, way back
in the first quarter of 2004, the later has
earned  of popularity beating the giant social
network like MySpace. With over 230 million
active users Facebook has been dominating
the social networking sphere world-wide.
While Orkut's dominance remains restricted
to Brazil and India. Since July Facebook has
started accelerating its coverage in both
Brazil and India. In May alone Facebook has
doubled its users in Brazil. A similar trend
was seen in India where Orkut reigns with 13
million monthly active users. Facebook users
doubled from 1.6 million to 3.2 million
during May and June. Facebook is fast
gobbling up Orkut's strongholds. The element
of concern is that the buz on Orkut is losing
steam. Whatever be the reason we are hear
to discuss 10 ways Orkut can compete with
Facebook.

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1. Publicity
Well, most of the social butterflies in US
have never heard of a social network named
Orkut. Where as Facebook is widely
advertised on news channels, especially
during elections. That's a great opportunity
on which Facebook is cashing. It's high time
Orkut establishes a Media presence to allure
all those die-hard fans who just adopt whims
and fancies in the name of Google.
2. Privacy
Orkut neither has a wall nor a ceiling, it all
open under the sky. Those seeking a safe
haven won't go for it. In Orkut you can view
people's profile publicly. In Facebook you can
only see a profile after the person has added
you in his/her list.
In Facebook you can selectively control what
people can see on your profile. Well, by that 
I don't mean you can't do that on your Orkut
profile but the options are limited.

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3. Quicker Response
Orkut's seems to turn deaf-ear against the
hacks. Well, we need share our own
experience when talking about hacks. We
had posted a Facebook Hack to see the
album of any private user. Within a few
weeks Facebook was up with a solution to
check the snag.
Coming to Orkut, we had posted an amazing
hack to copy and save photos from Orkut
Album. Google’s Orkut development team is
yet to shake its lazy legs as people continue
to thank us for such a whack hack. It's high-
time for Google to get serious with Orkut
hacks.
4. Appearance
Facebook offers a fully customizable layout
and random craps to make it an eye-candy.
Although there was much fuss over the
recent redesign social media insiders could
be the happier lot. Orkut features a
amateurish interface and a primitive layout
that looks incredibly dull.  That simply
weighs upon Orkut's fun quotient.  As a sub-
section we could include the themes
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Themes
When it comes to theme there's a hell and
heaven difference between Facebook themes
and Orkut. For someone with an eye for art
would realize the aesthetics of Facebook
themes. The Orkut themes are just
cartoonish with minimal styling.
Google needs to give some personality to
Orkut.
5. Wealth of applications
Orkut seems faceless before Face book’s
diverse set of quality apps. The standalone
Orkut users could never hallucinate about
stuffs like Exit Reality 3D Apartment, Super
Mario World, 80's Memories Gifts, Say
Something etc. Moreover, these quality apps
are smooth sailing without any hitch ups.
Although after recent redesigning in July
there were issues with Slide, Rock You,
Familylink.com apps you still have some
real quality apps.
By now Orkuteers must have been fed-up
with the buggy and non-productive Orkut

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apps. To add to it Google could have
refrained to display it is a bad server.
6.Improved status updates
The number and frequency of alerts and
updates on Facebook is just amazing. Every
micro changes and activities on Facebook are
splashed on the screens of their friends.  The
Pokes are real fun on Facebook.
Any comment you make on your friends is
updated on the mini threads that you receive
on your Facebook profile. Orkut never
informs you what your friend is doing right
now. You can find a lot of Orkutians trying
add their current status to their name. For
instance, I often come across titles like
Peter…back in Orkut. What if Orkut could
provide a status update like what’s on your
mind!
7. Chatting Options
Facebook has Comet-based instant
messaging application called "Chat" to
several networks. It offers similar
functionality like the desktop-based instant
messengers. When you log in Facebook you
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are automatically logged into Facebook
Chat. There are three Facebook chat tools
The first indicates the whether you are
online. The next one would inform you about
any new Facebook notification right from
the tool. The third tool is the actual chat
tool. It allows you options to appear offline
to specific Friends Lists within Chat. Further
you can delete your entire chat history.  You
can even use Facebook Chat from your
desktop without opening Facebook.
Orkut has no indigenous IM for chatting but
integrates Gtalk as Orkut messenger. For
using Orkut chat you have to sign up with
your Gmail account. However, in case you
are using a yahoo, Rediff or any other email
service the messenger would not include
your Orkut friends in the Gtalk  or Gmail list.
To add to the misery, Orkut messenger is
buggy and sluggish, there's nothing
instantaneous about it.

8. Multimedia Sharing

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Facebook is amazing with multimedia
sharing. If your friend as updates a latest
audio or video in their profile you can watch
that right from your profile. You don't have
to navigate to your friend’s profile.
No doubt Orkut allows you to share videos
and audio but, you need to move to your
friend’s profile where you have the video
embedded.
For the latest, Facebook Connect was
announced for the Xbox 360 and Nintendo
DSi.
Orkut needs to improve on its multimedia
sharing features.
9. Tighter Integration
We often hear that Facebook is much more
complicated. Let me tell you Facebook
allows you much more stuffs than just
browsing others profiles and reading scraps.
In Facebook everything is finely integrated in
the home page from Messaging, to friends
update, invites, tagging photo and many
more. In Orkut it's scattered with features
distributed over pages.
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Orkut should have a well integrated interface
with all major features perfectly set.
10.  Marketplace
Face book’s Marketplace is feature often
compared to Craigslist. It allows users to
post free classified ads. However, unlike
Craigslist listings posted by a user on
Marketplace are only seen by users that are
in the same network as that user. Orkut
might boast that it carries no ads but to go
global it need to be more productive.

Conclusion & suggestions

Well, I heard someone saying, Orkut is
copying facebook. Orkut has copied following
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features from Facebook - updates, status
message, comment on pictures, applications
and may be more. If Orkut has to grow in the
world wide social network, Google needs to
think beyond a step ahead.
Well, Facebook is for Pro who wants real
social gaming on networks. Google need to
work on gaps in Facebook where Orkut could
set its feet. But it seems Google reluctant to
leverage its social boy to regain its stature.

QUESSIONNAIRE:-
1. Do you run accounts on both websites?
Which do you prefer?
2. Which site is more professional looking?
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3. In which of them you like gaming the
most?
4. In which you can view people's profiles
more easily whether friend or not?
5. In which website you feel you more
secured?
6. Which is the most popular social
networking site in India?
7. Whom do you feel has a well integrated
homepage?
8. By using which site you have come
closer to your old friends?
9. By using which site you have made
friends whom you have never known
before?

Bibliography:-
 Internet
 Google
 Scibd.com
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  Facebook.com
 Orkut.com
 Socialnetworkingsites.com
 Wikipedia
 Newspaper
 Times of India
 Mint
 Hindustan times
 Magazines
 Business world

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