Epic Privacy Browser Forums

Madhur

Guest

Epic's Business Model?

How does Epic team plan to make money ultimately? Do you guys have a sustainable business model?
This question is important for me, and probably some others, because even Google started as "just a search engine" and it is only now that we have started seeing it as a stalker.

We (the users who care about their privacy) know your funding sources and that they are temporary.
Ultimately you would need to make your own money -  it would create even greater trust in your product if we know the answer to the "How?" questions about money upfront.

Last edited by Madhur (2013-09-09 18:12:25)

alok

Administrator

Re: Epic's Business Model?

Hi Madhur!

We plan to survive based on the same business model that drives just about all browsers -- search.  As long as you & many others use Epic :-), we should be able to keep the lights on and more than that, offer more for-free privacy services!! 

So as you use Epic's private search engine, you help Epic survive.  By the way -- Epic's private search is the default search engine, but to do Google searches in Epic quickly type "G" then tab, then enter your search terms.  Just a side note as many users like to do Google searches as well.   

Epic's search engine is powered by results from the world's search engines but is extremely private & always will be.  All results, sponsored or organic, are based on your search term and rough geographical area (virtually every search engine has to send an IP to get results -- we mask yours always).   We will never allow any tracking of our users -- by design when you use Epic search you simply can't even be tracked by the server that gets your search terms -- that's our philosophy!!   

Since we don't accept targeting or tracking, we can't default pure Google search and thus likely will not reach the $400+ million in annual revenues Firefox/Mozilla gets from Google every year.   BUT we should earn enough revenues to continue to support Epic, and grow our team & services!!!

Also, we do have investors and advisors who believe in our mission and its sustainability including the founder of Slashdot Rob Malda and the Washington Post Company (whose name will soon change) to be transparent. 

I hope that's clear & don't hesitate to follow up and keep sharing your thoughts and feedback with us.

lynxwildcat

Guest

Re: Epic's Business Model?

I understand epic requires funding to work, but tying us into one search engine (yours) is not optimal.

For example, could you allow inclusion of Duck Duck Go?
https://duckduckgo.com/privacy

I feel Duck Duck Go has improved searching and privacy policies to epic search (at this stage).

Madhur

Guest

Re: Epic's Business Model?

Thanks Alok.
Well I can suggest one way towards more revenues (in addition to search business). You already have a working, orkut-like forum. If you can allow us to make us our own profiles and communities, at least some of us would participate.

alok

Administrator

Re: Epic's Business Model?

@lynxwildcat thanks for suggestion & we are working to include more search engines into Epic (it's a priority for us)!  We need to make sure of their privacy & that they're okay routed over a proxy to protect users' ip.   

Thanks for suggestion Madhur!  We plan to keep this forum free!

Zatris

Guest

Re: Epic's Business Model?

There is also Startpage.com that boasts some better privacy.

---

"Red Warrior needs food badly!"

alok

Administrator

Re: Epic's Business Model?

Thanks, Startpage.com is great and longstanding in their commitment to privacy!!