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Simpatico Networks Announces Investment
from ZelnickMedia
Simpatico Launches its Sixth Social Networking Site
The Next Generation of Social Networking
New York – July 28, 2005 --
Simpatico Networks is pleased to announce today an investment from
ZelnickMedia, one of the nation’s leading media advisory and investment
concerns. In addition, Simpatico Networks announces the launch of its sixth
niche-based social networking site, Expats.com.
Simpatico Networks (www.SimpaticoNetworks.com)
presents the only social networking solution specifically for niche audiences.
The Simpatico Networks platform is the first enterprise solution to integrate
social networking, dating, business networking, event management, classified
advertising and online clubs into one scalable application.
Simpatico Networks owns and operates six social networking
sites and is actively developing more in conjunction with a number of well known
marketing partners. Simpatico Networks sites include Expats.com, Christian
Connect, Jewish Connection, Buddhist Connect, Catholic Connect, and
Simpatico.com. Simpatico Networks sites are the most feature-rich sites of their
kind, offering users extensive privacy controls, geographically targeted ads and
events, and full control over which members of their network view their personal
and professional profiles.
“Social networking software is still in its formative
state,” said Strauss Zelnick, founding partner of ZelnickMedia. “Simpatico
Networks represents the most innovative and forward thinking in this arena.
Their sharp focus on niche markets has huge potential to create new online
communities. Their software platform is world class. ”
Pamela Meyer is the founder and CEO of Simpatico
Networks. She has over 20 years experience successfully managing media
businesses. Her company, Manhattan Studios, which incubated Simpatico Networks,
is an Internet management boutique that specializes in raising capital,
structuring joint ventures and overseeing new product development and launches
for top management of major media enterprises. Manhattan Studios has worked with
Prodigy, Bertelsmann, Microsoft, Liberate and many others in this capacity.
Before starting Manhattan Studios, Ms. Meyer held executive management positions
at National Geographic TV, Electronic Arts and Vestron, where she worked for Mr.
Zelnick.
“Simpatico Networks is different from Friendster, MySpace,
and LinkedIn,” said Ms. Meyer. “We're focused on existing networks of people
with natural affinity. Whether serving members of a religious or ethnic group or
users of the same brand, we speak to existing audiences that already want to be
in community with one another. We believe this is far more valuable than first
generation-based social networking sites that attracted a diffuse community
while providing them no meaningful filter for finding like-minded friends or
business colleagues.”
Pamela Meyer refers to this as “Social Networking 2.0.”
Her vision for Simpatico Networks includes enterprise solutions for corporate
alumni networks, employees, association members, and users of the same brand. “Rather
than making a cohesive audience go to one site for event planning, another for
classifieds and yet another for dating or business networking, we target niches
with a user-friendly, unified suite of tools, so there's nowhere else they'd
rather be.”
ZelnickMedia (www.zelnickmedia.com)
is a partnership of experienced media executives lead by Strauss Zelnick, former
CEO of BMG Entertainment and President/COO of 20th Century Fox. The partnership
includes Scott Siegler, former President of Sony Tri-Star and Warner Brothers
Television, Jim Friedlich, most recently a senior publishing executive with The
Wall Street Journal, Ben Feder, who served as an Executive Vice President of
News Corporation, and Karl Slatoff, most recently Vice President of New Media at
BMG. The partnership owns interests in an array of media enterprises in direct
marketing, market research, recorded music, publishing, CD manufacturing, online
games, and media-related software, both in the U.S. Europe, and Asia.
Contact: Averia Gaskin – 212-496-0256,
press@SimpaticoNetworks.com
Source: Simpatico Networks, Inc.
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