I've been using LinkedIn for a couple of years and I am reasonably happy with it. If nothing else, Linkedin is a good way to keep up with current and former colleagues and companies on a global basis in almost any conceivable industry (even Spiderman lists his profile there) and given the state of the global economy LinkedIn is a valuable research tool when looking for a new position. I've never paid for LinkedIn and I haven't seen a good reason to although if I was a recruiter or HR manager I would probably pay for the upgrade services.

So, I was a little skeptical when I got an email link to a startup called Onewire but after looking at their web-site and a couple of reviews (businessinsider),  I was convinced enough to sign-up. I haven't fully completed my profile on the site yet but Onewire has a couple of strong points (for me).

• Focus on the Financial services sector (Wall street, Banks, Hedge Funds, Insurance).
• New York city based startup with close proximity to its target market
• Gives subscribers much tighter control over their profile and what prospective employers can see.

LinkedIn is still the 800 pound gorilla in this market but Onewire appears to have found a niche in the NYC financial services sector and appears to be prepared to exploit it. Given the current economy you can't fault their timing (lots of potential subscribers to sign up and a tight-knit group of prospective employers close by).

Excuse me I've got to go check if  Openwire needs any experienced financial services IT management, project management or web architect skills