Matterport Capture Services: Dan Smigrod Recommendations | Part 2 | We Get Around Network Forum

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Matterport Capture Services: Dan Smigrod Recommendations | Part 2

Hi All,

Thank you for reading first: Matterport Capture Services: Dan Smigrod Recommendations | Part 1 (and I Apologize. I Made a Big Mistake.)

Okay, now for Part 2 where I promised to write at length about why every Matterport Service Provider should immediately begin researching which 3D/360 virtual tour hosting software/platform to migrate to (even while either participating in the Matterport Capture Services program or declining to participate (or not eligible such as you have a Matterport Pro1 3D Camera).

Is joining the Matterport Capture Services program worth giving up your existing and potential clients? Even if you could pick up some incremental new business, the challenge will be when you switch to a new 3D/360 virtual tour hosting software/platform, you signed a Matterport non-compete agreement that precludes you from any client in the future that Matterport says is their client, based on @immersivespaces summary (above) of the Matterport Non-Compete wording.

From the WGAN Forum discussion: Question of the Day>Thoughts about the Matterport Capture Services Webinar?

Quote:

Originally Posted by @MeshImages
@Queen_City_3D you cannot compare Matterport Scan Services (MPSS) to any small company that you have cooperated with.

MPSS is working on a global scale at minimum scan rates.

MPSS is a powerful competitor, which integrates Scan Services, Platform and Camera. And MPSS has no interest at all, that scan prices are high, fair and profitable, because MPSSs main business is in exclusively selling expensive hosting contracts to everyone who wants a virtual tour.

And from my point of view this is probably just the first step. Next step will be exclusive software updates and beta testings for MPSS Scan technicians. Maybe also first orders on a new MP3 camera. This may sound all fantastic in the beginning.

But then you will see, that MPSS will start to actively promote their scan services to everyone everywhere in the world - also in your area. And probably MPSS will be much cheaper and easier than booking your service. In consequence you may loose your customer relationships to MPSS and your brand will slowly disappear.

You and your team will end up as a Matterport Scan Services Technicians.

Quote:

Originally Posted by @HomePlanNZ

Time to Move On

Matterport is commoditizing virtual tours. It wants to make its tours ubiquitous (at your expense).

Matterport WILL be competing with you now and/or in the future. If you join Matterport Scanning Services, it will be very had to leave Matterport because you will have likely agreed not to compete with them - not only when you are part of their program - but perhaps more importantly, when you choose to leave them for a different platform.

While there are likely many use cases where it makes sense to buy a Matterport Pro2 3D Camera and Matterport Cloud Hosting account - such as a real estate agent buying the camera to shoot their own listings; or, a remediation company for insurance documentation - my recommendations:

1. If you are a real estate photographer thinking about buying a Matterport Pro2 3D Camera - where your ROI is justified based on existing clients asking for this solution - buy one.
2. If you are thinking about buying a Matterport Pro2 3D Camera specifically to join the Matterport Capture Services program - and you do not care about the Matterport non-compete agreement and compensation for scanning makes sense - buy one. [Please double-check the eligibility requirements.]
3. For existing Matterport Service Providers - run, don't walk - to find an alternate solution.

Here are:

✓ WGAN Short List: 3D/360 virtual tour hosting software/platforms
✓ WGAN Long List: 130+ 3D/360 virtual tour hosting software/platforms

Here are some WGAN Members - 3D/360 Virtual Tour Platforms – that can help you. If you are ...

1. a busy, professional real estate photographer that uses a DSLR camera, look at iGuide.
2. focused on services general contractors, look at Cupix.
3. seeking a 3D virtual tour hosting platform that can use nearly any 360 camera, look at Metareal Stage.
4. seek a 3D/360 virtual tour hosting platform - focused on residential real estate - that you can use any 360º camera, look at EyeSpy360, Metareal, Nodalview, Asteroom
5. seeking a 360 virtual tour solution with a Skype-like video chat service built in, look at EyeSpy360
6. seeking a hosting platform that makes it easy to publish to Google Street View, look at Panoskin
7. seeking a 360º hosting platform that can begin with an aerial view of a community, look at ThreeSixty Tours
8. seeking a hosting platform that can use any 360 camera and create the tour for you, look at Metareal Stage and EyeSpy360
9. if you are looking for a platform that automates workflow from any smartphone (with a rotator), look at Nodalview
10. if you seek a hosting platform that you can use nearly any 360 camera: Asteroom, Cupix, EyeSpy360, Metrareal Stage, Nodalview, Panoskin and ThreeSixty Tours

For more info about these 3D/360 virtual tour platforms, use the WGAN Forum search box (left, above).

WGAN Special Offers for Above

3D/360 Virtual Tour Platforms

✓ Asteroom
✓ Cupix
✓ EyeSpy360
✓ Metareal Stage
✓ Nodalview
✓ Panoskin Pro
✓ ThreeSixty Tours

Free Training in 3D/360 Virtual Tour Hosting Platforms

If you are seeking free training (video), in these platforms:

1. WGAN-TV Training U (in Asteroom) (not presently available)
2. WGAN-TV Training U (in Cupix) [Newbies] [CAD] [Capture] [White Label] [Cupix versus Matterport]
3. WGAN-TV Training U (in EyeSpy360)
4. WGAN-TV Training U (in iGuide)
5. WGAN-TV Training U (in Metareal Stage)
6. WGAN-TV Training U (in Nodalview)
7. WGAN-TV Training U (in Panoskin Pro)
8. WGAN-TV Training U (in ThreeSixty Tours)

In this WGAN Forum discussion - Transcript: Matterport Capture Services Webinar | Thursday, 16 April 2020 - Matterport mentions many times that the program is designed for enterprise clients. That said, Matterport has NOT eliminated the possibility of offering its service to your local agent. Nor does it agree to not compete with you (whom already has this client).

Additionally, Matterport controls the charge for hosting, processing and ancillary services. It's likely that Matterport changed its rates in 2019 - Matterport 2019 New Pricing Announcement - making it at least six times more expensive for Matterport Service Providers hosting client tours, as I showed in this WGAN Forum post: Matterport New Pricing: My Spreadsheet to Help Understand Annual Hosting.

As soon as Matterport is in the Matterport Capture Services business, its bias will be to increase hosting so that it has an unfair advantage over Matterport Services Providers offering the same service to the same clients. This helps explain why we all were perplexed that the Matterport 2019 New Pricing was free processing and charge for hosting rather than charge for processing and provide free hosting. Matterport Service Providers naturally want to host many tours: particularly if you would like to have a gallery of your tours like this to show that you have a ton of experience.

Matterport Capture Services: Dan Smigrod Recommendations | Part 3

In my upcoming Matterport Capture Services: Dan Smigrod Recommendations | Part 3 - I will write about how Matterport should have handled enterprise companies seeking an "easy button" to order from Matterport Service Providers.

What are your thoughts about the Matterport Capture Services program?

Best,

Dan Smigrod
Founder
We Get Around Network, WGAN-TV and WGAN-TV Training U
Atlanta, Georgia

5 years ago

Matterport is going to do what it feels is right for it's company profits. As Dan has mentioned, the writing has been on the wall for sometime. I didn't become a "MSP" and then they shut off to new members. They changed the pricing to make it almost impossible to compete. They intentionally made it difficult - why else would they charge you a higher per model hosting fee for hosting 100 models vs 50 models? Without a doubt most of the providers on here helped Matterport to get where it is now. But there are only so many buildings that are going to be scanned. Matterport has calculated that real estate agents are not going to continue to pay $200-$350 per scan. Not when they have cheaper alternatives. It's obvious Matterport has decided to split their market: residential real estate - serviced by the agents themselves with their phones or $400 360 camera, hence making it uneconomical to scale with these plans. Their new service will take care of the rest.

It's really no different than Uber and Lyft putting cab companies out of business. The real estate sales eco system is going through a similar cycle right now. Everyone thought Zillow was great, then Zillow started purchasing some of the major tools that agents use such as DotLoop. Keller Williams has cancelled most of it's tech contracts without outside vendors to try and control what is happening. Redfin and others have stated that their goal is a real estate transaction with no agents. I have an Alabama and Florida real estate license and the agents I talk to want a sub $100 tour.

It's a shift created by a disruptive industry and MSP's are the most at risk. Dan has the right idea: find another platform and start the migration. I would guess that in another year or so the VT arena will shrink. There's too many platforms that offer the same basic service to the same potential customers.

My hope is that a platform will recognize that it has the opportunity to become the low cost alternative, but they need to act now. Offer something cheaper, better and white label. Part of the issue with some of the "point-n-shoot, upload and get a tour platforms" is that when you as a provider show your tech savvy agent and easy to use tour with the platforms name all over it - they go find it themselves. Things are changing, the average new agent is extremely tech savvy. Matterport recognizes that. Fact: 90% of agents don't are about Matterport tours. Most agents when confronted with the choice between a $99 tour and a $250 tour from a "Matterport Pro" are going to take the $99 tour and will continue to do so if it works.

Side point: if you want to unload your MP Scanner - now is the time to do it. There is only 4 scanners on Ebay and the average selling price for a Pro 1 is now $2000. That is double what it was a year ago.

I have a question about one of the other posts: my understanding of the MP TOS, they own all of the images and I would believe that downloading your models and bringing them back online would be IP theft and MP doesn't seem to be shy about that.

835	835 fotoguy private msg quote post Address this user	plus 1 plus 1 plus 1 12
	Thank you for your detailed response Dan. As always, you are on top of it. I hope you have booted any MP employees from the forum. I just find it sad that MP had a great concept and they are in my opinion, throwing it out the window. They could’ve worked with us to make them the leader in this field going forward. Since the beginning, they have always seemed to talk out of both sides of their mouth. I always hoped they would figure out how vital we are to their business and focus on our needs. Now, all trust is gone and thankfully, we have downtime to figure out what we want to do before everything gets rolling again.
	5 years ago	Post 2 • IP flag post

WGAN 3rd Party Service Member 2.03K Website Beijing Facebook	2.03K JuMP private msg quote post Address this user	plus 1 plus 1 plus 1 9
	Hello @DanSmigrod May I provide one more option here to your 10 suggested platform? 11. If you want to save all of your showcase assets that stored in Matterport's jail server, please contact us. JuMP team is working on backup all showcase data for you and we can work together to make them online again. So that you won't worry about your old showcase data when you go other platform. I wish Matterport could read those options that we can have and realized that they made a wrong step towards the final end. Wish Matterport could withdraw their selfish idea and live well with all MSPs. BTW why Matterport do this to all MSPs (his customers)? I think because Matterport foresee that in the sooner future his showcase platform won't be the only choice. Captured with Pro2, processed with matterport cloud and stored on 3rd party platform will become true soon. So that Matterport won't make more money on showcase storage. Think about it someday you can use GeoCV like UI to play your Matterport showcases and selfhost them.
	5 years ago	Post 3 • IP flag post

349	349 homefinders3d private msg quote post Address this user	plus 1 plus 1 plus 1 9
	Matterport is going to do what it feels is right for it's company profits. As Dan has mentioned, the writing has been on the wall for sometime. I didn't become a "MSP" and then they shut off to new members. They changed the pricing to make it almost impossible to compete. They intentionally made it difficult - why else would they charge you a higher per model hosting fee for hosting 100 models vs 50 models? Without a doubt most of the providers on here helped Matterport to get where it is now. But there are only so many buildings that are going to be scanned. Matterport has calculated that real estate agents are not going to continue to pay $200-$350 per scan. Not when they have cheaper alternatives. It's obvious Matterport has decided to split their market: residential real estate - serviced by the agents themselves with their phones or $400 360 camera, hence making it uneconomical to scale with these plans. Their new service will take care of the rest. It's really no different than Uber and Lyft putting cab companies out of business. The real estate sales eco system is going through a similar cycle right now. Everyone thought Zillow was great, then Zillow started purchasing some of the major tools that agents use such as DotLoop. Keller Williams has cancelled most of it's tech contracts without outside vendors to try and control what is happening. Redfin and others have stated that their goal is a real estate transaction with no agents. I have an Alabama and Florida real estate license and the agents I talk to want a sub $100 tour. It's a shift created by a disruptive industry and MSP's are the most at risk. Dan has the right idea: find another platform and start the migration. I would guess that in another year or so the VT arena will shrink. There's too many platforms that offer the same basic service to the same potential customers. My hope is that a platform will recognize that it has the opportunity to become the low cost alternative, but they need to act now. Offer something cheaper, better and white label. Part of the issue with some of the "point-n-shoot, upload and get a tour platforms" is that when you as a provider show your tech savvy agent and easy to use tour with the platforms name all over it - they go find it themselves. Things are changing, the average new agent is extremely tech savvy. Matterport recognizes that. Fact: 90% of agents don't are about Matterport tours. Most agents when confronted with the choice between a $99 tour and a $250 tour from a "Matterport Pro" are going to take the $99 tour and will continue to do so if it works. Side point: if you want to unload your MP Scanner - now is the time to do it. There is only 4 scanners on Ebay and the average selling price for a Pro 1 is now $2000. That is double what it was a year ago. I have a question about one of the other posts: my understanding of the MP TOS, they own all of the images and I would believe that downloading your models and bringing them back online would be IP theft and MP doesn't seem to be shy about that.
	5 years ago	Post 4 • IP flag post

WGAN 3rd Party Service Member 2.03K Website Beijing Facebook	2.03K JuMP private msg quote post Address this user	plus 1 plus 1 plus 1 9
	@homefinders3d The MSPs (as photographer) hold the copyright of all their captured showcase images. And Matterport allow MSPs to download images either. There is no IP theft. JuMP team attached great importance to copyright protection. We only provide our services to the owner of the showcase or the business team who has the authorization from showcase owner. Matterport wants to get all copyrights within the showcases from MSPs by his TOS is the actual robber.
	5 years ago	Post 5 • IP flag post

2.99K	2.99K MeshImages private msg quote post Address this user	plus 1 plus 1 plus 1 10
	The one thing about Matterport, that all my clients hate, is the excessive Matterport branding everywhere in the 3D-Tour (and the link). Premium realtors do not want to make promotion for a tech brand. I think this is a good starting point for selling new solutions.
	5 years ago	Post 6 • IP flag post

1.48K	1.48K Gerhard private msg quote post Address this user	plus 1 plus 1 plus 1 6
	[YouTube Video] Very interesting to watch the was recorded about 3 weeks ago, and it is starting to come true. You will have to rethink your business, as this Covid is still far from over. If it carries on for say another 6+ months will Matterport be able to keep their doors open if nobody can scan or clients run out of money to pay for your services? But always look on the bright side of life. Maybe this is a curse with a blessing in the end. But nobody knows.
	5 years ago	Post 7 • IP flag post

55	55 junior private msg quote post Address this user	plus 1 plus 1 plus 1 3
	In reply to Dan’s post. RIGHT ON DAN!
	5 years ago	Post 8 • IP flag post

WGAN Forum Founder & WGAN-TV Podcast Host 31.34K Website Atlanta, Georgia Linked In Facebook Twitter YouTube TikTok Instragram Matterport Service Partner Google Street View Trusted Photographer Zillow Certified Photographer We Get Around Network Member	31.34K DanSmigrod private msg quote post Address this user	plus 1 plus 1 plus 1 0
	Thanks all! Other thoughts? Dan
	5 years ago	Post 9 • IP flag post

Matterport Capture Services: Dan Smigrod Recommendations | Part 211591