Engage Introduces Next-Generation Social Dating Community Platform

Marries Highly Viral, Social Networking Applications with the Proven Online Dating Subscription Model

SAN MATEO, Calif., April 8, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- Engage (http://www.engage.com/), the Internet's first social dating community to harness the power of human intuition and friendship, today emerged from beta for a full public launch. Engage is the first to combine contemporary social networking principles with established online dating tools. This makes it easier, more intuitive and a lot more fun to establish meaningful new connections, all with a little help from friends.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080408/AQTU031)

A recent Jupiter Research(1) report projects that online personals revenue will increase from $900 million in 2007 to $1.9 billion in 2012. However, satisfaction rates on traditional online dating sites are still extremely low, with many singles reporting they make few, and sometimes even no, genuine connections. Engage has introduced contemporary online social and community features to the process of making meaningful new connections online while also recognizing and incorporating the role that friends play in helping singles forge such connections.

According to Engage "State Of The Date" research(2), singles think they are more likely to meet their future life partner through a personal introduction than through any other method-because these singles recognize that introductions are the genesis of most successful relationships in the real world. Engage replicates these offline behavioral patterns on its site, and rewards both singles and their friends for helping their online community make new connections.

"Our mission is to bring a more social, intuitive and entertaining approach to finding that perfect connection online, and one that actually results in meaningful, lasting relationships," said Suneet Wadhwa, Founder and CEO of Engage. "The online personals industry is set for huge growth because people put a high value on meeting the right person. Our role is to provide a community-focused, collaborative environment that uses social media tools to bring online personals into the 21st Century."

Engage provides many intelligent community tools for users who are both singles and matchmakers. Standout features of the new site include:

-- Social Feed: lets you know what others in your community are doing -- e.g. who are they are interested in on the site, who they've
introduced / recommended to others and how recent dates have gone.
-- Cast Your Vote: allows Engage users to vote on the best connection for
singles on the site, using the power of the community as a catalyst
for meeting someone new.
-- One-click suggestions: allows users to quickly make dating suggestions
for others or for themselves, based on first impressions and gut
instinct.
-- Social Points: these are earned for many types of activities
undertaken on the site, including making an introduction for someone
in your friend list or casting your vote on suggested matches. This
adds an entertaining gaming quality to the site and encourages
constant, active participation.
-- So Social: tied to the social points initiative, this leader board
feature shows the most active, social and connected people on the
site, giving others an opportunity to contact them and take advantage
of their superior matchmaking skills.
-- Play Matchmaker(TM): enhanced features allow users to introduce and
make recommendations to friends and acquaintances on the site, or in
their address book, in even more ways.

Trish McDermott, Vice President of Love(TM) for Engage, added: "Dating is a highly social experience in the real world. We attend parties and events with friends by our side, hoping to have fun while mingling with potential romantic partners. Our friends commonly introduce us to other singles, and we seek advice, feedback and inspiration from these friends as we navigate the uncertainties of dating today. Engage puts the social into online dating, and we're not only confident that singles will meet someone special, but equally confident they'll have a lot more fun along the way."

Engage is showcasing its new site at the TechCrunch/PopSugar event, "Geek Goes Chic", taking place at the Vanguard, Los Angeles, on Thursday, April 10, 2008, starting at 6:30pm PT. As a main sponsor of the party, Engage will be running demos and will also work to match up "Geeks" with "Chic" throughout the evening.

To start matchmaking and meeting new people, visit the new Engage experience today at http://www.engage.com/. The service is currently free to users, but in the future will be evolving to a subscription model.

About Engage

Engage is the Internet's first social dating community. Dating gets social when friends Play Matchmaker(TM) and singles make meaningful new connections in a fun, low-pressure online environment. Engage.com is based in San Mateo, Calif. The service is free for everyone during an extended trial period, and will always be free for those who are involved and interested in seeing friends make cool new connections at http://www.engage.com/

(1) US Paid Content Forecast, 2007 to 2012 -- Jupiter Research, February
2008
(2) First annual State of The Date research -- Engage, February 2008

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080408/AQTU031
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Source: Engage

CONTACT: Sharon Howell of LEWIS PR, +1-415-992-4400, engage@lewispr.com,
for Engage

Web site: http://www.engage.com/

2008-04-08 00:07:49 0330155 PRNEWSWIRE