Trailfire Adds New Dimension to Web Discovery
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By Marrying Four Technologies - Web Annotation, User Created Navigation, Commentary and Social Discovery - Trailfire Delivers its Expanded Social Discovery Engine
SEATTLE, Jan. 30 - In conjunction with DEMO 2007, Trailfire, Inc., a leading developer of software and services for the social Web, today announced a revolutionary new solution that will take discovery on the Internet to the next level. For the first time, Trailfire has married four technologies - Web annotation, user created navigation, commentary, and a social discovery engine, which the company is unveiling today.
Anyone with a Web browser can create their own path on the Web. The annotations, or "Marks," that make up a "Trail" appear as a note on Web pages that can be viewed in a browser without the need for an extension. Trailfire combines these technologies with a unique capability that lets people start and participate in conversations on any Web site, at any time, on any topic. This first of its kind capability will open a user-created dimension to the Web that we use today.
"The Web is an enormous, vibrant source of information. However, due to the amount of content available, it is increasingly difficult to find relevant information. Social discovery, which is the process of leveraging a community's collective knowledge and commentary, helps alleviate this challenge," says John O'Halloran, Trailfire CEO. "We bring a unique combination of technology, tools and community involvement to enhance the discovery process."
O'Halloran went on to explain that with Trailfire there are four vectors for discovering a Trail:
o On Trailfire.com: The Trailfire.com Web site is organized by
category, date, popularity, and user ratings. The Trailfire site
gives users multiple ways to filter content so they can find exactly
what they are looking for.
o Anywhere on the Web: Because each Trail has its own unique URL it
can be posted and discovered anywhere on the Web. For instance, you
might find Trails on blogs and other social Web sites, such as Digg
or del.icio.us. Individuals can also e-mail Trails to friends,
family and colleagues.
o While Browsing: Trailfire's browser extension allows Trails to be
discovered "in the wild," while you are browsing a Web page where
someone has already placed a Mark on the page. People who download
the Trailfire extension are likely to come across Trails on a
variety of sites while browsing the Web. As more content is added by
the Trailfire community, the value of this type of discovery will
continue to increase.
o In Search Engines: Each Trail has its own "Trail summary page,"
which is indexed by search engines, such as Google, Yahoo and MSN.
The Trails created by the Trailfire community are more valuable than
simple URLs and Web pages because they are the results of someone's
prior research, complete with annotation and feedback from the
community.
"This is an exciting time in Web 2.0," says Tim Bajarin, President with Creative Strategies. "Developments such as those from Trailfire, are empowering online users and social communities to have more freedom on the Web."
Trailfire has seen search phrases grow almost 200 percent, per month over just a short beta period. For instance, if one were to do a Google search using the term "Limewire sites," he or she would find that a Trail on the topic would appear. This Trail has generated a significant amount of traffic to the Trailfire site, because it contains such relevant information.
"The information in a Trail provides people with a rich package of information that adds to the value of the searches they make on the web," said Alexander Rublowsky, vice president, marketing with Trailfire, Inc. "No matter how you search on the web or what you search for, sooner or later you'll be following a trail and discovering what you need to know."
About Trailfire, Inc.
Trailfire Inc., is a leading developer of software and services for the social Web. The Seattle-based software and services company was founded in February of 2005. Trailfire's investors include Voyager Capital, WRF Capital, and a group of angel investors. More information is available at www.trailfire.com/.
For more information (press only):
Jennifer Gehrt
Communique PR
jennifer@communiquepr.com
206-282-4923
Paulette Trimmer
Communique PR
paulette@communiquepr.com
206-282-4923
Source: Trailfire, Inc.
Web site: www.trailfire.com/
