Netvibes, the pioneer of the personalized homepage, today
announced partnerships to publish hundreds of official content
Universes for major media and e-commerce companies, celebrities and
non-profits, dramatically changing the landscape of personalized media
online.
A Universe brings together and delivers on a single Netvibes page
all of a brand's rich online media, including RSS feeds, websites,
podcasts, videos, blogs, photos, stores and widgets, which can be
remixed according to each user's personal preferences and interests.
In April, Netvibes launched Netvibes Universe with an initial list
of over 100 pilot content Universes that included major media
companies, non-profits (Harvard) and celebrities (50 Cent, Moby)
across the United States. Today's announcement will expand that number
to over 500 partners around the world, spanning Canada, China, France,
Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom.
"This is concrete proof that the future of all media lies in deep
personalization. No other Internet company can claim as many
officially branded content partnerships in this many countries and
languages," said Tariq Krim, CEO and founder of Netvibes. "What does
this mean for audiences? Your favorite content, your way."
Global Partnerships
What began with a focus on U.S. media companies, including CBS,
Forbes.com, Newsweek, TIME, Washingtonpost.com, and USA Today,
Netvibes Universe now encompasses a wide scope of media alliances in a
variety of sectors around the world. New major media Universes
include:
-- Europe: International Herald Tribune, IDG UK, Die Welt,
Computerworld, Les Echos, Le Figaro, Le Monde.fr, L'Equipe, 20
Minutes, Elle France, El Pais, El Mundo and Rockol.it
-- Asia: Agile Media, ChinaVenture, eNet, HiPiHi HoodongWiki and
Sports CN
-- North America: U.S. News and World Report, Wired, Topix,
Inside Edition, Entertainment Tonight, Glam.com, Brightcove,
ContentNext Media, CollegeHumor, Dr. Phil and Canadian
Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)
"Personalization, customization and interoperability between
content platforms is a reality of today's Web. By partnering with
Netvibes in Europe, we are widening our reach and offering new and
existing users the ability to access IDG content via Netvibes'
exciting new Universe feature, which aggregates RSS content from our
leading brands such as Computerworld, Techworld, Macworld and PC
Advisor into customizable, manageable and themed modules," said Kit
Gould, managing director at IDG UK.
"To serve our global audience, it is important for our readers to
be able to personalize news feeds according to their interests," said
Nick Stout, deputy managing editor of the International Herald
Tribune. "Netvibes lets our readers in more than 150 countries
customize the way they view and use iht.com (http://iht.com)."
"The Netvibes Universe enables us to consistently continue our
'online first' strategy. It provides our users with comfortable and
fast access to our latest content - apart from the print edition and
the website WELT ONLINE," says Peter Wurtenberger, chairman of the
management board at Axel Springer AG.
Netvibes has also experienced tremendous international growth with
e-commerce companies, celebrities and non-profits. New highlights
include:
-- eCommerce & Enterprise: Cetelem, Edgeio, Etelos, Sage,
Shopping.com, Tencent
-- Celebrities & Movies: 60+ artists & films, through a
partnership with Buddylube, now including Beyonce, Gnarls
Barkley, Jamiroquai, P. Diddy, Rush Hour 3, Hair Spray
-- Non-Profits & Institutions: 200+ organizations, through a
partnership with Freelanthropy.com, including Boys and Girls
Clubs, Operation Smile, Ronald McDonald House, UK National
Museum of Science and Industry, USGS.gov
"Our artists want to get closer with their audience and build
community. Universes are the perfect portals to transport fans into
the lives of our artists," said Kathy Baker, senior director of
digital media at Columbia Records.
"Demand from new content partners for Netvibes Universe has
experienced tremendous growth since our introduction just a couple
months ago. Five hundred content partnerships is an important
milestone for us and we expect to add another 100 next week," said
Freddy Mini, COO Netvibes.
To commemorate the momentum of their fast-paced international
growth, the company will host a press conference and VIP party this
evening in Paris, kicking off the city's annual Fete de la Musique.
For a complete list of all 500+ official content partners, please
visit: http://eco.netvibes.com/500universes
About Netvibes
Netvibes pioneered the personalized homepage, an alternative to
traditional Web portals. With millions of users in more than 150
countries, Netvibes lets individuals assemble all in one place their
favorite widgets, websites, blogs, email accounts, social networks,
search engines, instant messengers, photos, videos, podcasts, and
everything else they enjoy on the Web. Founded in 2005 by Tariq Krim,
Netvibes (http://www.netvibes.com) has offices in Paris, London and
San Francisco.