Linkedin March from 3.3m users to...

Even in this backwater of Australia, most people you need to know in technology, media and internet are in linkedin.com : I still have problems with the service in terms of what I'm actually supposed to do once I'm there, and the more senior you are the more it is a decreasing value (or even negative) proposition. But it's a great service, it is the new triangulated resume (combined with a blog and a podcast) so I'm going to go check out the changes. Also worth noting social networking can work, with a vertical application focus. From Software Only VC Blog :

"...LinkedIn is introducing a number of key changes over the week-end. For the first time in months, the site has been down this afternoon to deploy a new server infrastructure that will allow the company to scale to the next stage, from the current 3.3M users to at least double that. A new user interface, cleaner and nicer, has also been rolled out.

The most notable change however is the introduction of Business and Business Plus accounts, that will be – yes – subscription-based.

Personal Accounts users will still be able to use LinkedIn for free and register, create their network, and search and send contact requests to third degree connections. Four degree contact requests, that were too long and cumbersome to execute anyway, have been removed from the free option.

Users can now search through the entire LinkedIn database – with a new improved Name search, as opposed to just one’s network. Resulting contacts can either be accessed through contact requests (to the third degree), or through InMail – a new functionality that is part of the new Business Account offering. Reid details it in this announcement:

InMail™, a new service available exclusively through LinkedIn, allows you to receive business opportunities from other LinkedIn users directly onto your homepage without sacrificing privacy. You decide whether to receive InMail; you get to rate every InMail you receive to help ensure quality; and you choose when to share your contact information.

As to Business and Business Plus accounts, they are targeting professionals like recruiters, investors, consultants, analysts,… who leverage LinkedIn the most to search for references, candidates, or experts. Each level of subscription will have a set number of InMail and contact requests, and access to a new set of tools that will be introduced shortly.

More details later..."