Web Commenting Software "Echo" Resounds with Paying Customers

SAN FRANCISCO -- Because a comment has become currency in the social media world, a company that's built out commenting technology for the Web is now profitable. 

At the recent Brightcove Alliance event in San Francisco earlier this month, I connected with Khris Loux, the CEO of Silicon Valley-based JS-Kit, best known for its "Echo" commenting system that lets users comment on stories and articles on sites like the New York Times, JetBlue, and others.

Loux explained that JS-Kit makes money via a subscription fee for its services, with smaller sites paying about $12 a year and larger sites paying around $5,000 a year for the service. The Echo commenting technology also pulls in related comments from other sites and lets users broadcast their comments to Facebook, Twitter and other places as well.

"Your opinion is a badge of honor...Echo is a way to say something and have it broadcast throughout the world," Loux said.

The company is backed Loux and venture firm Altos Ventures.

Daisy Whitney, Senior Producer  

10/19/09 Correction:  We had previously stated the the Dallas Morning News used Echo, but they do not. We are sorry for the misinformation.