Online Personals Watch: News on the Dating Industry and Business

SeekingArrangement.com Introduces Anonymous Calling Feature

PR WEB – Jan 27 – Sugar Daddy dating site SeekingArrangement.com, the largest sugar daddy and sugar baby dating site, has announced the launch of its new anonymous phone calling service named “ICALLU” that allows members to call each other anonymous through a Voice over IP (VoIP) server. According to the site, over 55% of its members are concerned about privacy and giving out their phone number, and 32% of members have had a negative experience after giving out their real phone number to strangers in the past. The new service, which costs 99 cents per minute domestically and $1.99 per minute internationally, will help protect members’ privacy while still allowing them to make a connection over the phone. Founder & CEO Brandon Wade expects the cost of the service to drop over time as more members being using it.

See full article at PR Web

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Tigits Dials Up Online Dating Opportunity

THE GLOBE AND MAIL - Apr 15 - When Sean Miller got into the online dating world, he saw opportunity in providing people with second telephone numbers that could be used just for dating, and would be less expensive and easier to get than through a major telephone company. It took him 18 months to develop Tigits. Mr. Miller was also able to bring on Bruce Croxon, co-founder and former CEO of Lavalife as an adviser and investor. The service, which includes voice mail and will soon offer text messaging, costs $9.99 a month after a 30-day free trial. Tigits’ customers get a second telephone number that works just like their regular number. They can block callers, switch number and stop their service at any time.

by Mark Evans
See full article at Globe and Mail

Mark Brooks: Vumber came three years earlier with the same solution. It's good for end users, but not good for dating sites. The service is too disconnected from dating sites.  Match and FriendFinder integrated Jangl (which was later sold to Jajah). Jangl/Jajah is a better solution for dating sites because it keeps users connected to the dating site. Users simply hit a 'call this person' button on Match. (Full Disclosure: Vumber and Jangl are prior clients of Courtland Brooks)

See all posts on Lavalife

Skype, Going Public, Hopes For $100 Million From First Offering

NY TIMES - Aug 9 - Skype hopes to raise $100M in IPO. Analysts have speculated that Skype’s sale, planned for the Nasdaq market, could be the biggest initial offering in the technology sector since Google went public in 2004 and raised $1.67 billion. Skype has ~124M users a month worldwide. In the first six months of this year, those users made 95 billion minutes worth of calls, the company said. But only 8.1M Skype users are paying customers. Video calling represents 40% of total calling time on Skype, and analysts say this could grow further as the proliferation of smartphones enables more people to place such calls while on the go. FULL ARTICLE @ NY TIMES

Mark Brooks: Fascinating. 40% of Skype users use the webcam. So people are becoming more comfortable using their webcams, it would seem. However, growth for the webcam based dating site leaders Speeddate and Woome growth has stagnated in the USA according to Compete. Have you considered adding webcam based dating to your dating site?

This post also appears on SocialNetworkingWatch.

Internet Dating Industry Weekly News Oct 23rd, 2009 - 3.5 mins

This is the news for October 18th through October 23rd, 2009. Please follow this link to enjoy the high-resolution version. Here are some of the topics we covered for this week:

• People Media ranked on Deloitte’s prestigious Technology Fast 500 list
• Zoosk’s member base surpasses 40 million users
• Newly-launched eLove.com fuses online dating and traditional matchmaking
• AARP partners with Perfectmach relationship expert Dr. Pepper Schwartz
• Australia’s Cupid Media rejecting 3,000 profiles a day due to fraud suspicions

 

Match.com And eHarmony Choose JAJAH's IP Platform

MARKETWIRE -- July 16 -- A dating site wishing to offer its members the ability to talk, SMS and leave voice messages for prospective partners, while keeping their personal details private, can do it by connecting into JAJAH's Platform for Dating. The JAJAH Platform for Dating has been implemented by a number of dating sites, including Match.com and eHarmony. FULL ARTICLE @ EARTH TIMES

See all posts on Match.com
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Cheap International Calls

DEAL NEWS -- Mar 5 --

	to Europe	to Latin America	to Asia
Vonage	from $0.01	from $0.01	from $0.01
ViaTalk	from $0.03	from $0.06	from $0.01
Comcast Digital Voice	from $0.08	from $0.09	from $0.15
Skype	from $0.02	from $0.02	from $0.02
MagicJack	from $0.03	from $0.09	from $0.02
Verizon (landline)	from $2.89	from $2.92	from $6.65

*Representative countries include UK, Mexico, and China
The above prices are only offered to respective members of each service. Like most VoIP services, they require that you sign up with each provider for at least a year (with the exception of Skype). Other Alternatives are Talkster, Rebtel, Fring, VoxOx. FULL ARTICLE @ DEAL NEWS

Mark Brooks: A glaring omission from most dating sites is voice. Here's a few examples of useful and inexpensive services. (Full Disclosure: Talkster is a client of Courtland Brooks)

See all posts on Talkster

Talkster Invites Website Users To TalkNow

PRESS RELEASE -- Jan 22 --  Talkster, the company delivering online communities instant mobile voice and text communications, announced TalkNow(TM), a new service that gives dating and social networking sites a zero integration model for offering voice services to their members. Using a couple of lines of code the Talkster TalkNow button can be easily integrated into any website creating a new anonymous calling feature where the caller pays for the call. FULL ARTICLE @ MSNBC

See all posts on Talkster

This post also appears on SocialNetworkingWatch

Talk Is Cheap But Talki Is Cheaper

MARKETWIRE -- Dec 15 -- Talkster introduces software for mobile phones called Talki, that gives users unlimited text and picture messaging plus long distance and international calls for the same cost as local calls. Talki is available in more than 35 countries. FULL ARTICLE @ MARKETWIRE  

Like Jangl, TalkPlus Losing Its Voice As Well

GIGAOM -- May 7 -- Michael Cerda, former CEO of Jangl along with the cofounder, Ben Dean and three other Jangl employees is joining Jajah. "The company was finding its groove in the marketplace, but our investors though it wasn't enough for us to keep going, and decided not to fund us", Cerda said. Jangl had raised about $9m in VC funding from Storm Ventures, Labrador Ventures and Cardinal Ventures. Cerda explains the rise and fall of Jangl on his blog. Jangl is not the only VoIP company to nosedive. We have heard from reliable sources that TalkPlus, is going nowhere fast. Michael Toepel, who was the CEO recently left, after the company failed to get new investment to keep going. FULL ARTICLE @ GIGA OM

This post also appears on SocialNetworkingWatch.

RSVP Selects Voxalot Anonymous Calling

BUSINESS WIRE -- Apr 15 -- RSVP, Australia's largest online dating site, has launched 1-to-1 Private Calling utilizing Voxalot's VoxConnect API. The VoxConnect API platform provides RSVP members with secure, anonymous calling functionality as a value-added service. RSVP currently boasts more than 1.2m members and is owned by Fairfax Media. FULL ARTICLE @ THE EARTH TIMES

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. FULL ARTICLE @ THE EARTH TIMES

This post also appears on SocialNetworkingWatch.

Jangl Turns On Audio Ads

TECH CRUNCH -- Mar 6 -- Jangl is finally turning on a revenue stream across its network of social calling widgets, which reach a potential 80M social networking profiles. The new advertising initiative is called Mobile Media Platform and provides a set of APIs for publishers and ad units for advertisers. Through the APIs, developers can integrate bits of Jangl's SMS and VOIP calling functionality into their applications. The monetization side is being handled in partnership with Pudding Media, and Ogilvy's Digital Innovation Group. Jangl will have several different types of ad units for advertisers, such as SMS ads tacked on to messages users send and pre-roll audio ads that play during the time you'd normally spend listening to the phone ring. Advertisers can target the ads by keyword, category, location, and demographic. FULL ARTICLE @ TECH CRUNCH

This post also appears on SocialNetworkingWatch.

Paltalk Adds Vumber's Disposable Phone Numbers To Video Chat

MASHABLE -- Feb 19 -- There are a number of VoIP services, like Jangl and Jajah, that let you chat online, or even via landlines without having to reveal the phone number. Paltalk has integrated Vumber's disposable number service. The biggest benefit of Vumber is that its users can have an easier time taking their Paltalk video chat sessions offline. Paltalk customers get a 30-day free trial of Vumber's service, after which the $4.99 per month rate will kick in. FULL ARTICLE @ MASHABLE

This post also appears on SocialNetworkingWatch.

Jajah And Jangl Partnership

REUTERS -- Nov 15 -- Jajah and Jangl have formed a partnership. Both companies provide alternative Internet based alternatives to traditional phone calls. They also offer calling services for social networking sites that allow users to call each other without revealing their mobile or home phone numbers. Jajah's strength is discount long-distance. Jangl has focused on offering phone services through Match.com, Facebook, and FriendFinder. The partnership would help them gain a competitive edge against rivals such as Jaxtr, said Michael Cerda, CEO of Jangl. FULL ARTICLE @ REUTERS

Mark Brooks: A potent combination. Anonymous calling + click-to-call with cheap long distance.

This post also appears on SocialNetworkingWatch.

BharatMatrimony Adds Voice Recording

PRESS RELEASE -- Nov 7 -- BharatMatrimony.com launched an enhanced voice service that allows members to describe themselves in their own voice and post it as part of their profile. Users can listen to the expectations of prospective partners over the phone or on the computer. The service is free. FULL ARTICLE @ FREE PRESS RELEASES

Mark Brooks: Members call in to a number and leave a message which is attached to their profile. I know some sites have tried this in the past and been disappointed with the results. Time to try it again. The internet and voice will conjoin soon. Keep it super simple and you'll get usership. Its also time to consider anonymous calling. The majors are signing up now ;-) Jangl, Zing.dm, Ccube and Jajah are services to consider. Email me at mark@courtlandbrooks.com for a copy of my 20 point analysis of them.

Hide Your Phone Number With A Ring-To Number

PRESS RELEASE -- Oct 8 -- WebPoint Communications today unveiled Ring-To Number, a new service to safeguard one’s identity when interacting on social networks, auctions, and online dating sites. Free and paid versions of the widget, an extension of the CallDigits service, provide a means to receive phone calls without divulging an actual number, address, and location. FULL ARTICLE @ BUSINESS WIRE

This post also appears on SocialNetworkingWatch.

Michael Cerda, Jangl CEO - Interview

OPW INTERVIEW -- Aug 31, 2007 -- Jangl has the best and most successful telephony integration on a dating site I've yet to see. It's live on Match.com. The service has been industry tested, is making money and is also live on AdultFriendFinder, Facebook and Tagged. Here's my interview with Mike Cerda. - Mark Brooks

What does Jangl do?
Jangl connects your phone and your online life, safely and privately. That’s it in a nutshell. Jangl bridges someone’s phone with their online presence. And, by online presence, we mean an online dating or social networking profile, a classifieds ad, an auction, a blog, or any other place where there is an online communication happening. The phone wasn’t part of that before Jangl. But by bridging the phone and the web, Jangl is making phone numbers behave and respond to consumers in the same way an email address does – with privacy, control and management features, and ultimately convenience.

What is Jangl’s founding story?
We set out, back in 2005, to build a lifestyle communications company that delivers services without all of the friction of headsets, downloads, and plugging into various pieces of hardware. We also wanted to offer services that consumers can use when they meet people in various ways online – not just another VoIP service based on cheaper long distance.

Thus, our focus on bridging phones with consumers’ online lives. Privacy was the first problem that we needed to solve and that’s what we focused on as a company: you can’t bridge the phone and the web without offering consumers privacy and control. Right after our initial $2 million round with Storm Ventures and Labrador Ventures in 2005, we began working with Match.com to power its MatchTalk service. Of course, that required us to scale very quickly. Six months later, we raised an additional $7 million. Storm Ventures, Labrador Ventures and Cardinal Venture Capital are the three investors in Jangl today.

Ultimately, as steep as that ramp was, it was good for us, because today Jangl is the only company of its type that can power a large-scale deployment like that. Social networks are growing so incredibly quickly, they have to partner with companies that can keep up. In part, that’s why Jangl today connects 20 million online profiles with phones – because we’re a consumer-oriented service with an enterprise-grade network.

Who are your top 5 partners?
Our top 5 partners are Match.com, Various (which has the FriendFinder properties), Tagged.com, Justin.tv and Facebook, with an application called Phonebook. Another one very interesting to me is Revision3 which, among other things, is producing Diggnation, a terrific show with Digg co-founder Kevin Rose and Alex Albrecht, and The GigaOM Show with blogger Om Malik and Joyce Kim. It plays into our social media efforts.

Our service is obvious with regard to online dating and social networking because it lets people who are trying to meet each other talk on the phone without exchanging numbers. But, our service isn’t so obvious with social media. Social media is all about producing content and bringing an audience to that content and having everyone engaged in a continuous feedback loop. Jangl brings phones into that loop.

Do people really get anonymous calling yet?
I think they get it when it’s presented in the proper context. I don’t think people sit around and say, “Oh, I wish I had some anonymous calling capability.” People get to emailing and flirting with others online and want to take it to the next level, but aren’t sure if the other person really is who they say they are. They want to be able to control who calls them and when and that’s where we come in. You also have to understand that connecting the phone and the web is a brand new concept. When you describe to people what that means for them, the need for anonymity and privacy and control become much more apparent.

Where is the money?
For Jangl, the money is in licensing, consumer subscriptions and transactions and, soon, advertising. So, for example, take licensing. In online personals, money changes hands between the consumer and the property. When we provide the ability to talk on any phone, from anywhere, with anyone you meet online, we receive a cut of this premium feature.

In social networking, though, money is not changing hands between the consumer and the property. It’s changing hands between Google AdWords and the properties. In social networking, we’re trying to own and monetize the dial tone in those social networks, much the same way the social networks monetize the traffic.

The numbers are staggering when you consider that Jangl is de-siloing two huge markets: the phone and the web. In the U.S. alone, there are more than 200 million online profiles, and 225 million cell phones; worldwide, it’s 500 million profiles and over a billion mobile phones. The global advertising spend in social networking is about $1.4 billion right now, and is expected to double by 2010¹. Total mobile ad spending is at $1.4 billion, but expected to grow to over $14 billion by 2011². So the numbers are there no matter how you look at it. We’re bridging two huge markets that, for as much as they’ve exploded already, really still have the majority of their growth in front of them.

What are your goals for Jangl through the end of 2008?
It’s all about our service, partnerships, and advertising. Obviously, we’ll continue adding functionality to Jangl itself -- moving beyond talking and texting, and moving into content sharing, more precise control over when and how people can be reached, functionality based around groups of people. We plan to drive more activities through this utility we’re offering. You’ll see us do things in places like Facebook, where we build adjacent applications to promote usage of Jangl Phonebook. You’ll see us do things like this inside Tagged, as well, where we build a service along the lines of phone tag. We’ve got strategies around user-generated content, phone numbers, mobility, and new and interesting partnerships evolving in the classifieds and auction space. We’re doing a lot of plug-ins for other IM clients, for the various mail services that are out there.

In terms of partnerships, vertically, we’d like to get the majority of the top 10 online dating sites using our service, and we’re about to announce another win there. We are in a few of the big eight social networks and want to make our service available to the other social networks as they deploy APIs and so forth.

Also in 2008, we'll be launching our advertising play, talking with buyers and planners, with customers, with different parties associated with the advertising food chain. Again, we're mindful of doing it right – but already having multiple revenue streams lets us take enough time to ensure it is.

We see the rest of 2007 as a real estate land grab because we would much rather be in every profile as part of users’ communication flow rather than being a widget directory. If you can have residency in each of these profiles, half your battle is won. Jangl’s doing smart deals that get us there and that’s what we’re focused on for the rest of this year.

IwantU.com to Deliver Free Dating Number Service

PR NEWSWIRE -- April 5 -- IwantU.com will deliver free dating phone numbers to their 7 million members. Active members of IwantU.com will be able to contact each other via CallDigits.com. The dating phone number will ring to any phone of the member's choice and ensures privacy while enhancing the dating experience. The basic service which includes voicemail will be provided free of charge. Members may choose to upgrade to local phone numbers throughout the US and Canada. According to Keith Bussey of IwantU.com, "The phone is a natural part of the dating experience and our members will be able to enhance their online dating experience like no other service. We are the first online dating service to allow our members to actually talk to each other as part of the online dating experience."

Mark Brooks: Voice is getting a foothold in the online personals world, at last. Match launched MatchTalk powered by Jangl first. I've guided Vumber to what I think is the best service for singles. They can not only forward calls, but they can call out from their Vumber on any phone, anytime, anywhere.

Check Date's Background Online

WASHINGTON POST -- Mar 25 -- Kimberly Hall was twice betrayed by men she met dating online. Both turned out to be married. So she started doing background checks on her dates using Intelius.com. Singles now draw on a growing arsenal of security and research tools - from services that verify identity and background to companies that provide temporary phone numbers as a barrier to stalkers. Few dating sites conduct their own background checks on members and only one seeks to verify marital status. 31% of American adults say they know someone who has used a dating Web site, and nearly 60% of Internet users said they think a lot of online daters lie about their marital status, (Pew Internet & American Life Project study, 2006). At True.com 2% of applicants are rejected because they are convicted felons. 3% flunk because they are married. Trufina verifies age, identity and address. Jangl offers free temporary phone numbers for eBay customers and dating singles. Tossable Digits offers a similar service. Intelius provides name, address, age, marital record and criminal background check. FULL ARTICLE @ CANTON REP

Mark Brooks: HonestyOnline.com also offers background checks, tailored to the needs of online dating sites.   Jangl and Vumber.com provide two way anonymous calling services.

Looking For Love With a Background Check

WASHINGTON POST -- Jan 30 -- Dating sites have been slow to adopt safety-filtering measures; few dating sites conduct their own background checks on members and only onJe seeks to verify marital status. Nearly 60% of Internet users said they think a lot of online daters lie about their marital status, according to Pew Internet & American Life Project study last year. verifies age, identity and address for free, figuring that will draw customers willing to pay an additional $9.95 for criminal checks. Several other background-check firms, like Intelius, which built their businesses doing criminal checks for employers, are increasingly finding customers interested in researching their dates. Jangl offers free temporary phone numbers for dating singles to keep their real phone numbers to themselves. FULL ARTICLE @ FAY OBSERVER

Mark Brooks: Social telephone number services are on the rise. Jangl essentially provisions conference calls and assigns a unique Jangl id and number to each relationship.  Vumber works differently. A Vumber is a virtual number with a voicemail, so users can record a message which doesn't mention their name or number. (Vumber is my client, fyi).