Being discussed on the webosphere, OpenTable is an on line reservation system for restaurants. Restaurants do not like it, but if customers sign up an use it, restaurants are stuck with hefty fees to OpenTable. This has similarity to the FaceBook model.
But it won't last, OpenTable will become a protocol, on the web, a robot that does all the online reservations for free.
In fact, if I wished, I could, right here, start an open source version of what they do and wipe out their $2.5 billion in value. I would simply propose a standard search process that matches a search for openings with lists of restaurant reservations. I could define the reservation list using standard XML style definitions for restaurant and reservation. Then, like the chart and map makers do, I write scrips so web sites can post gadgets for customers to click and make reservations. The protocol will use a server side page update on the restaurant web site maintains an associated web page with current reservations. The confirmation can use the customer phone number as an identifier, reducing restaurant risk. Presto, OpenTable is gone and its stockholders revealed for the suckers they are.
If the 90% of restauranters want this problem fixed, e mail me youngsanger@gmail.com. Many of the XML definitions we need already exist, probably we can do this on line in a few weeks. I do this stuff all the time.
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