CAMPBELL, Calif., May 27, 1999 (PRIMEZONE) -- Under a co-branding agreement announced today, the approximately four million users of the popular instant messaging and online community software, PowWow(R), will be able to bring their digital images to life and join the Web's leading photo sharing community at PhotoLoft.com (OTC BB:LOFT).
Terms of the agreement call for PowWow users to have free access to a premium PhotoLoft.com account (normally $29.95 per year) where they can utilize PhotoLoft.com's advanced technology to share, store, and print their photos. In addition, they can take advantage of PhotoLoft.com's e-commerce solution to purchase photo-personalized gifts. PhotoLoft.com's site was recently named Web site of the Week by both the San Francisco Chronicle and Computer Currents On-line and received a very favorable product review from PC World On-line.
Beginning June 7, Tribal Voice(TM), developers of PowWow, will inform users of the PhotoLoft.com opportunity on its Web site through its on-line newsletter and other vehicles.
"Tribal Voice is one of the Web's leading on-line communities and its PowWow software is the most complete instant messaging and online community software available," noted PhotoLoft.com CEO Jack Marshall. "We're excited about the opportunity to provide PowWow users state-of-the-art viewing and advanced printing capabilities in a community environment. This agreement exemplifies our business plan to generate traffic to our web site through strategic alliances with premium partners like Tribal Voice."
About PhotoLoft.com
PhotoLoft.com went public March 1, 1999. Also that month, its Web site became the first photo sharing community to offer advanced viewing and photo-finish quality printing of images from the Web. It recently has announced numerous partnerships, including co-branding agreements with Casio, Epson and Photodex.
The PhotoLoft.com site is the only photo sharing Web site to offer advanced viewing capabilities, which allow users to zoom in on and pan images. This feature makes the site particularly popular with bidders at on-line auction sites and makes PhotoLoft.com a very "sticky" site, since users tend to manipulate each photo viewed an average of three times. In addition, the company's proprietary technology allows users to print to the highest resolution of their printers directly from the browser.
Based in Campbell, PhotoLoft.com also offers users an e-commerce solution that includes photo-personalized gift items. The company plans to launch online greeting cards during the second quarter and will expand its e-commerce program to consumables (paper, ink and digital imaging equipment) during the third quarter of the year. PhotoLoft.com was founded in 1994 as AltaVista Technology, Inc. by Jack Marshall and Chris McConn.
About PowWow
PowWow is a fully integrated instant messaging and online community solution that features the only instant voice messaging and integrated Voice Chat capabilities available, as well as group chat, instant messaging, buddy lists, and real-time peer-to-peer communication. PowWow users can utilize a collaborative white board and bulletin board system, conduct Web tours, and share files, URLs and sounds.
In addition, PowWow's highly scalable distributed community server (DCS) architecture enables users to quickly and easily create, host, and moderate their own private, personalized online communities. PowWow is available for free download from www.tribal.com.
About Tribal Voice
Tribal Voice is a leading provider of instant messaging and online community solutions based on its PowWow technology. Founded in December 1994, by anti-virus software guru John McAfee, the company is headquartered in Scotts Valley, Calif. and maintains a development organization in Woodland Park, Colo. More than four million worldwide users participate in over 10,000 communities via the company's PowWow software. For more information on Tribal Voice and to download its PowWow client software, please visit http://www.tribal.com or call 831/461-3100.
Note to Editors: Tribal Voice and Voice Chat are trademarks and PowWow is a registered trademark of Tribal Voice. All other products and company names are trademarks of their respective owners.