iBelong Launches Customized Portals to Bring Membership Groups to the Internet.BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--OCT. 7, 1999-- Creates New Approach for Building Online Audience In an effort to vastly expand the number of online Americans and to dramatically transform the everyday Internet experience of millions of users, iBelong, Inc. (www.ibelong.com) is launching an entirely new way for membership groups and their members to come together online. Through alliances with its partners and suppliers, iBelong's integrated program includes computer and Internet service offers to provide all members access to the group's customized iBelong portal. "America is a nation of belongers," says Shikhar Ghosh, president, CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. , and co-founder of iBelong, who was chosen as one of the leading Internet entrepreneurs An Internet Entrepreneur is a person that engages in business on the internet and helps to shape the future of business on the internet by being an innovator. One who is able to recognize opportunity and administer resources to take advantage of the opportunities. by Forbes, Fortune, and Business Week magazines. "Ninety percent of Americans belong to either a club, a cause-related group, professional group, or alumni association An alumni association is an association of graduates (alumni) or, more broadly, of former students. In the United Kingdom and the United States, alumni of universities, colleges, schools (especially independent schools), fraternities, and sororities often form groups with alumni . The mission of iBelong is to help membership groups and their members enrich and extend those relationships through the incredible connectivity of the Internet, creating a vibrant and interactive online community." Ghosh, the founder and Chairman of Open Market, Inc., a leading Internet commerce and information publishing software company, is not new to founding companies that change the way the Internet impacts daily life. At iBelong, he has assembled a team of 50 experienced Internet engineers A person responsible for developing and maintaining the infrastructure that supports the public Web site, intranet and associated LANs and WANs. May be involved in developing transaction-based applications for e-commerce. See e-commerce engineer. and business professionals who have developed a unique architecture that enables iBelong to build customized Internet portals, or entryways, for groups to offer their members. Integrating Information and Interests The customized iBelong portals combine the daily information, communication, and e-commerce services most portals provide today, with the group-centric information and activities members seek to connect them with the interests, activities, and people that matter most to them. iBelong portals provide each group with the special features needed to bring their community online, including a Group Action Center, which offers tools to respond to group issues; Group Connection for group news; Group Events Calendar; Group Chat and Forums; and group publishing capabilities that enable groups to update and control their information on the portal without the need of complex HTML HTML in full HyperText Markup Language Markup language derived from SGML that is used to prepare hypertext documents. Relatively easy for nonprogrammers to master, HTML is the language used for documents on the World Wide Web. programming expertise. Combining Commerce and Community While iBelong's first goal is to bring groups and their members into a closer and deeper relationship, iBelong also helps groups and their members benefit from the rapidly growing world of e-commerce. Every iBelong group portal includes an online marketplace and community auction center customized for each individual group. These areas enable group members to enjoy the convenience of e-shopping while supporting their organization each time they purchase online. The iBelong marketplace features more than 30 leading online merchants including Value America Value America or VA (valueamerica.com, va.com) was a dot-com company founded in Nevada in 1996[1] by Craig Winn and Rex Scatena, and relocated to Charlottesville, Virginia in February of 1998[1]. , Barnes&Noble.com, rock.com, Reel.com, MotherNature.com, OfficeMax.com, SmarterKids.com, the Sports Store, and Travelocity.com. And iBelong's team of merchandising specialists plans to bring 50 to 60 more merchants to the marketplace by early next year. First iBelong Group Portals up and Running Groups representing more than 7 million members have signed on to iBelong, reflecting a broad diversity of interests and associations. They include The American Legion American Legion, national association of male and female war veterans, founded (1919) in Paris. Membership is open to veterans of World Wars I and II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. , Non-Commissioned Officers A non-commissioned officer (sometimes noncommissioned officer), also known as an NCO or Noncom, is an enlisted member of an armed force who has been given authority by a commissioned officer. Association of the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. , Buckmasters, American Flyers American Flyer was a popular brand of toy train and model railroad in the United States in the middle part of the 20th century. The Chicago era, 1907-1938 Although best remembered for the S gauge trains of the 1950s that it made as a division of the A. C. , and the Society for Developmental Education. The first two portals, www.legion.ibelong.com and www.buckmasters.net, are now live, with more to follow in the coming weeks. "We're in the business of communicating with our members - and our members with us -- and iBelong's portal provides us with the right next step to stay in tune with our membership," says Bob Spanogle, national adjutant ADJUTANT. A military officer, attached to every battalion of a regiment. It is his duty to superintend, under his superiors, all matters relating to the ordinary routine of discipline in the regiment. of the American Legion. "Through iBelong's portal, we will get a good pulse on our organization and enhanced instantaneous customer service." "Joining with iBelong is a milestone for this association," says Lew Ferguson, director of national sales and marketing for The Non Commissioned Officers Association of the United States of America UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. The name of this country. The United States, now thirty-one in number, are Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, . "Our mission is to make a difference by taking a stand on issues that affect the rights, benefits, privileges, and lifestyle of all enlisted men and women, in all five branches of the Armed Forces, who serve, or have served, our great nation. We are especially excited about the fact that through iBelong's unique NCOA NCOA National Change Of Address (USPS) NCOA National Council On the Aging NCOA Nuclear Receptor Coactivator NCOA National Corvette Owners Association NCoA New Care-Of Address NCOA Non-Commissioned Officer Academy Congressional Action Center, we can provide our members with timely information on important issues as well as an easy way to e-mail prewritten letters by NCOA about these issues to their legislative representatives." Much More than Just a Portal Through its relationships with Gateway and Kessler Financial Services The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please [ improve this article] or discuss the issue on the talk page. , iBelong offers an integrated program that reaches beyond those consumers already online. "More than half of all American homes [1] Photo Gallery do not yet have Internet access See how to access the Internet. , and group member access is at a similar level," Ghosh notes. "For membership groups to provide the full benefit of the Internet to all members, they need a program that will bring `unwired' members online as well as bring online members to the portal." iBelong offers group members top-notch built-to-order Gateway computers, Internet service, and superior customer service. And all this technology is available at a great value through Gateway's affordable Your:)Ware financing program. iBelong's integrated program also includes a unique emphasis on group member marketing programs. iBelong's other co-founder is Howard Kessler, who is chairman and CEO of Kessler Financial Services, a leading affinity sales and marketing company. iBelong sales and marketing teams are working hand-in-hand with KFS KFS Klippel-Feil Syndrome KFS Key Factor for Success KFS Knife, Fork, Spoon (piece of military kit carried on web belt) KFS Keane Federal Systems, Inc. KFS Kaiser-Friedrich-Straße to develop and implement effective marketing programs customized for each group." "Members benefit from the iBelong integrated program because they can access the Internet in a trusted environment that provides useful and relevant content, information, and services, and they're actually joining an online community of people who share their interests," Ghosh explains. "In addition, simply by using the group's Internet portal, they are contributing to their group. The groups benefit because they receive increased revenues from members' online activities, as well as enhanced member involvement in the group's interests and activities, and therefore, increased loyalty." About iBelong Headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts One of the early centers of the Industrial Revolution in northern America, Waltham is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 59,226 at the 2000 census. , iBelong, Inc. is the first Internet company to focus on redefining what it means to be a member of a group by creating customized group portals. iBelong portals are Internet entryways that provide a trusted and comfortable online environment that connects members with the activities, interests, and people most important to them. In addition to Kessler Financial Services and Gateway, iBelong has established strategic relationships with best-of-breed Internet technology and retailers, including Snap.com, Lycos, Koz.com, iSyndicate, Open Market, Value America, Fairmarket, and E-Dialog, to create a customized Internet environment for groups and their members. About Kessler Financial Services Boston-based Kessler Financial Services (KFS) is a leading affinity sales and marketing company. Chairman and CEO Howard Kessler is one of the pioneers of affinity credit card product and marketing programs. |
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