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WirelessDevNet.com Press Release
Zodiak Entertainment Launches Worldwide Flirtmaps, The Location-Based Dating App
Cannes, 12 April 2010 – Zodiak Entertainment today announces the beta version launch of FlirtMaps, a mobile location-based dating iPhone application, which will be downloadable free of charge at AppStore in the US, UK and Italy in the coming week.
Based on a user’s current location and dating preferences, FlirtMaps will put forward a selection of interesting people to chat to in the area. Its functionality will also increase in the coming months to recommend local places for users to meet new friends.
The application has been developed by Neo Network, the digital subsidiary of the Zodiak Entertainment Group, which has established itself as one of the major players in the European digital market.
Marco Ferrari, Zodiak Entertainment Chief Digital Officer said, “FlirtMaps is a new, smart way to meet new people on the go, making digital dating more enjoyable than ever before. We see it as a perfect companion to the next generation TV dating formats we are developing at Zodiak Entertainment, such as The Date Expo or Destination Love which we are presenting at MIPTV in Cannes. It’s about real people, looking for real love!”
FlirtMapswill soon be available in Spanish and Portuguese, in addition to English and Italian, and a roll-out to 20 major countries, including Brazil, Mexico, India, Sweden and Denmark, is planned this summer. FlirtMaps seeks to connect anyone, anywhere in the world with the kind of people they are searching for, as quickly as possible.
Marco Franciosa, Chief Technology Officer at Neo Network, who designed the product said “We have more than 10 years of successful experience in online dating, and more than 2 million registered users worldwide. We now think that the market is ready for a new kind of product and are really excited about FlirtMaps. Not only is totally free for the user, its really easy to use as well as being private and discrete.”
FlirtMaps’ initial monetisation model will be based on advertising revenue. It will offer a platform for geo-located advertising and encourage users to collect “virtual coins” which offer them extra features, including discounts and free-access to local partner venues such as discos or pubs. When a critical mass of users is met, Neo Network will unleash the full potential of the product, increasing the functionality to fully interact with Zodiak Entertainment’s TV dating formats.
Blackberry, Android and Symbian versions of FlirtMaps are currently in development and Neo Network is already working on next steps for extendingFlirtMaps applications.
Marco Ferrari concludes “Zodiak Entertainment is one of the few players in the market which is really employing the 360 concept. Our clients see us as a production partner for the digital era, capable of not only developing and distributing great TV shows, but also being able to support and sustain them through appropriate digital exploitations and business models”.
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