BELLEVUE, Wash., Feb. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- 180solutions, a provider of search marketing solutions, today announced its acquisition of application development company Easy Message and the release of Zango Messenger(TM). Zango Messenger is a free instant messaging service that creates a common interface between all major IM networks. including AOL, Yahoo! and MSN, and offers Web publishers a powerful application for generating additional revenue.
Zango Messenger creates a recurring revenue stream and drives traffic for Web publishers while offering a platform that meets the demand for IM programs to communicate universally. Zango enables Web publishers to offer site visitors a branded, universal instant messaging capability, while avoiding licensing fees associated with obtaining and hosting traditional instant messaging applications.
Prior to the acquisition, Easy Message's application was a leading interoperable instant messenger with more than one million installs on Download.com. Easy Message's popularity stems from it ease of use and performance, as well as its small download size -- at less than 250K, it's less than one-tenth the size of competing products.
The acquisition of Easy Message maps to 180solutions' mission of aggregating premium online content and making it available for free. Each month 180solutions provides consumers complimentary access to over $1M in entertainment, games, humor, and music. The company has forged partnerships with more than 50 leading content providers and software developers, in addition to acquiring game developer Full Armor Studios last year. These partnerships have led to free access to popular Websites including AdventureTV.com and Bulbo.com, and the launch of Zango Games, Zango Messenger, and ShowTimes.
"Zango Messenger solves two big problems -- one for consumers, the other for Web publishers," said Ryan Dewsbury, founder, Easy Message. "The program allows users on different IM services to easily communicate and creates a new, free, and revenue generating download for content partners. IM is one of the fastest growing segments of Internet usage and Zango Messenger is well positioned to help Web publishers drive increased site traffic and additional profits."
"180solutions' acquisition of Easy Message illustrates our continuous commitment to keeping the Internet free and equipping Web publishers with the necessary tools to generate revenue from their original content," said York Baur, executive vice president, business development at 180solutions. "Instant messaging is a highly successful communication medium, with more than 200 million users worldwide, making this application a big win for our distribution partners. We expect strong demand for this product and will continue to forge private-label relationships for Zango Messenger."