PRESS RELEASE — Mar 13 — WhiteLabelDating.com has been selected as one of the UK's fastest growing businesses at the Fast Growth Business Awards (FGBA) and its Financial Director Jennifer Raines won the Financial Director of the Year category for her outstanding contribution to the company's growth. The ceremony took place at the London Marriott, Grosvenor Square last night. WhiteLabelDating.com is a UK-based software company that enables partners to set up their own branded, online dating sites. One of their casual dating sites, MatingDirect.com, made it to top ranking in the UK for one day last week according to Hitwise. "Since we originally put the entries in for the business we've already increased by 25%. So we're up from the 4 million to 5 million GBP already," said Jennifer Raines. This week WhiteLabelDating.com was appointed by UK's Dateline to create and provide the platform for Dateline.co.uk. The site is being launched to compliment Dateline's existing service, http://www.dateline121.com.
Month: March 2008
Iovation Partners With PayByCash
BUSINESS WIRE — Mar 13 — PayByCash, a global payments provider, and iovation, the
device reputation authority of the Internet, partners to help online businesses combat payment and credit card
fraud. Under the partnership, PayByCash will offer iovation’s real-time
ReputationManager™ device reputation fraud management service as a part
of its online payment services to protect massively multiplayer online
games (MMOs) and other online merchants from all forms of payment
fraud. FULL ARTICLE @ BUSINESS WIRE
Mark Brooks: iovation is also working with a number of internet
dating sites to help combat fraud and scammers. (Full Disclosure:
iovation is a client of Courtland Brooks)
EasyDate Acquired SpeedDater
EASY DATE — Mar 12 — Edinburgh based EasyDate Ltd. and speed dating company, SpeedDater have merged. The acquisition of Speed Dater by EasyDate was the result of a lengthy one year courtship and was completed on 7th March 2008. The Speed Dating Events and Online business is now under the full ownership of EasyDate and the ex-directors of SpeedDater are now concentrating on their travel business Speed Breaks.
Web Site Makes Millions By Connecting Cheaters
NPR — Mar 12 — AshleyMadison.com,
which caters to men and women who are already in relationships and are
looking for something more, is the largest dating service of its kind.
The Toronto-based company has made more than $20m since 2002 by helping
people cheat on their spouses. Users buy credits (
$55/100 credits) and then each e-mail they initiate costs five credits.
Their tag line gets right to the point:
"Life is short, have an affair." "Monogamy is not in our DNA," says
Chief Operating Officer Noel Biderman. "Women come to a service like
Ashley Madison because they haven’t
been sent flowers in God knows how long. Framingham State College
sociology professor Virginia Rutter urges people to take the time and
energy that it takes to troll
a cheating Web site, and re-invest it in their existing relationships. FULL ARTICLE @ NPR
Speed Dating 2.0
PR WEB — Mar 12 — Randomate.com is a hybrid of speed dating and social networking, billing itself as "speed dating 2.0". Randomate.com allows members to join and create speed dating rooms, IM other members, create and design custom profiles, post blogs and more. "Our free service allows members to spend 5 minutes with 5 suitable partners during each speed dating session," added the founder Art Harrison. FULL ARTICLE @ PR WEB
Jangl Unveils Its Mobile Media Initiative
TRADING MARKETS — Mar 11 — Jangl, a company connecting online profiles and mobile phones, has unveiled a new mobile media initiative with Pudding Media and advertising agency Ogilvys Digital Innovation Group. Jangl services already enable SMS, calling and voicemail for Facebook, Bebo and Plentyoffish. Jangl and Pudding Media tested pre-roll spots prior to calls on its free direct services and recently tested ads appended to SMS messages in Bebo and Facebook. Jangl is now working on new campaigns that leverage the interactive response capabilities of its voice services to deliver links and additional information via SMS to customers that respond and opt-in to promotions.
The full article was originally published at Trading Markets, but is no longer available.
JAJAH Teams Up With Mobile Technology Companies
PRESS RELEASE — Mar 11 – JAJAH, Talkhouse, Elephant Drive and Tazti have teamed up to introduce the new LetMeBeMobile Software campaign. This unique program showcases each partner's innovative capabilities, including JAJAH's award-winning and affordable global calling solutions, which does not require a software download, a headset or a need to change phone plans. Simply by accessing one website, users can take advantage of applications or services that deliver: long-distance and international calling – JAJAH, web-based storage – Elephant Drive, voice activation solutions – Talkhouse and Tazti.
The full article was originally published at Earth Times, but is no longer available.
DatingDirect.com Sponsors TV Show
BRAND REPUBLIC — Mar 11 — DatingDirect.com has signed a deal with Five to sponsor the third series of 'Grey's Anatomy', which starts next Thursday. It is the first TV sponsorship the dating service has taken. The sponsorship trails will show 99 conventional dating rules being given a DatingDirect.com twist, and will fill a 15-second opening credit and six five-second break bumpers. FULL ARTICLE @ BRAND REPUBLIC
DNA-based Dating
THE RECORD — Mar 10 — For Eric Holzle, the founder of ScientificMatch, the quest for romantic compatibility begins not in the heart but in the cheek. Clients submit a cheek swab which is assessed for genetic compatibility with other clients. This stretch of DNA, known as the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), plays a fundamental role in the immune system. The immune system, in addition to fighting off disease, is the source of our sex appeal. The ScientificMatch membership costs $1,995.
The full article was originally published at The Record, but is no longer available.
Mark Brooks: I tried a 23andme.com DNA test recently. It told me I had a higher than average chance of developing diabetes, and a less than average chance of developing heart disease. It cost $1k. In time we'll see DNA tests enter the mainstream and novelty social networking sites will seek to utilize the 'identity' information that is locked up in our genomes. In 30+ years will dating sites include peoples DNA 'identities' as a standard part of their matchable profiles? Your comments please.
Spark Networks Establishes Open Market Stock Buyback Program Of Up To 1,000,000 Shares
CNN — Mar 10 — Spark Networks, a provider of online personals
services, has established a repurchase program for the purchase of up
to 1,000,000 shares of Spark Networks Common Stock. Purchases will be
made in the open market by a broker.