Melcrum's Communicators' Network Innovates with Launch of Business-Grade Social Networking Platform
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Directory of third-party resources reviewed and rated by its target community just some of the value-adds to new professional networking site
CHICAGO and LONDON, May 8 -- Melcrum, an organization specializing in communication research and training, is pleased to enter a partnership with software developer Small World Labs in launching a business- grade global networking site for communication professionals, The Communicators' Network.
Free to join, The Communicators' Network allows professional communicators of various disciplines to connect with peers from around the world. The platform not only offers standard social networking functionality, including groups, blogs, photo uploads, custom RSS feeds and discussion forums. Innovations include a directory of third-party content and articles, which can be linked to and rated by the very community to which the resources are targeted.
"We believe The Communicators' Network is different from the now-standard offerings," indicates Robin Crumby, managing director of Melcrum. "First off, because it was conceptualized and built using software designed for businesspeople, not teens. By empowering our adult community of users with the ability to peer-review and rate resources-whether they are print or online documents or vendors and services-our objective is to allow sharing between globally dispersed special-interest groups, as self-selected by the user."
Melcrum sees sponsorship of this business networking site as a win-win scenario. "By sharing what works, and encouraging collaboration between like- minded professional communicators, we anticipate the site will grow into a valuable collection of industry knowledge, helping its members to save time and make better business decisions," says Crumby.
The choice of Small World Labs as its software partner followed detailed research with communicators to determine what tools and functionality would be most useful. Small World Labs already boasts extensive experience in building professional networking sites for businesses and membership groups.
The main features of the site include:
-- communicators can establish a public or private group for their work or volunteer team, organization, sector or local region
-- allows existing (offline) communities to be more efficient by introducing them to a range of networking tools
-- the functionality of issuing invitations to trusted contacts and others to join, plus the ability to publicize organized "events" on the site and invite people to attend
"In our initial meeting with Melcrum, I knew immediately that our online professional networking platform was the right choice for Melcrum to establish its online community," said Small World Labs' CEO, Michael Wilson. "Melcrum had a specific vision for The Communicators' Network and wanted to ensure it met the needs of communication professionals. We are excited to be working with them on this."
The Communicators' Network will continue to develop over the coming months, as more functionality is added to the site by Small World Labs, based on user feedback. The site is scheduled for full launch at the June IABC conference; in the meantime it will have a thorough beta test by communicators from various areas and regions.
Melcrum invites volunteers interested in setting up and facilitating groups for special interests, local regions and industry sectors. Also, to contribute and review useful resources, such as books, blogs, publications, conferences and published research. Become a part of something special at the front-end of The Communicators' Network development: the community that will shape and grow its value for the benefit of worldwide peers.
Melcrum is also looking for industry partners to support the site's growth and development. If your business or membership group would like to get involved, please contact Robin Crumby. "The Communicators' Network has already had fantastic feedback from the alpha testers around the world," indicates Crumby. "It looks well-positioned to become the first port of call for communicators online."
About Melcrum
Melcrum is a research and training business with offices in London, Chicago and Sydney. Founded in 1996 by Robin Crumby and Victoria Mellor, Melcrum's community spans more than 90 countries. Through its global networks, Melcrum connects 25,000-plus professional communicators in sharing what works. Melcrum's products and services include Strategic Communication Management, The Internal Comms Hub, The Source for Communicators, Knowledge Management Review, How to use Social Media to Engage Employees and The Melcrum Blog.
About Small World Labs
Small World Labs provides social networking software and professional networking software to organizations looking to create online communities that are pertinent and targeted to their specific needs. Using best practices and a secure architecture, Small World Labs has developed a web-based software platform that enables corporations, publishers, associations, non-profits, and other organizations to provide their own branded online communities to their constituents. The company is headquartered in Austin, Texas, and currently counts more than 50 organizations and companies from across the U.S. and abroad as customers. For more information, call +1 (512) 474-6400 or visit www.smallworldlabs.com.
CONTACT: Robin Crumby, Managing Director of Melcrum Publishing, +44 20 8600 4670, +1-312-379-6500, or robin.crumby@melcrum.com
