DigitalBeat

There’s a whole category of companies at this week’s DEMO 2009 conference that are doing things Microsoft should do, but isn’t.

Sobees fits in that category, with a desktop user interface that’s focused on giving you easy access to multiple social networks. The software lets you open up multiple windows in a way that doesn’t take up much real estate on your screen. One window shows, for instance, a whole stream of Twitter posts. Next to that is a window that shows your Facebook friends and their recent status update messages. Still another window displays a bunch of news feeds on topics you like, such as NBA games or local news.

When you use Sobees, you don’t have to use your passwords for every individual site. The company calls it a “desktop social aggregator.” It’s an easy way for social butterflies to get a handle on what’s happening in their personal networks, and is very similar to Jadoos in that respect. But while Jadoos has a web remote control that stays embedded in your browser, the Sobees desktop uses your whole Windows screen. It also lets you upload photos to multiple social networks at the same time.

Rivals include Tweetdeck and iGoogle. Others include twhirl, AlertThingy, 8hands, Power.com, and Netvibes. The company has seed funding from its founders, Francois Bochatay, chief executive, and Vincent Rithner, chief technology officer. They started the company in 2007 and employ five people. Sobees is based in Lausanne, Switzerland.

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