WorldFriends Networks launches ground-breaking API for developing revenue-generating social networking application.

New application programming interface (API) enables website partners to create, design and host their own social Internet services and earn recurring user subscription revenue, with full access to WorldFriends Networks’ global partnership network and user base. The first partner to use the API is Yahoo Japan Corporation.

TOKYO, July 30, 2008 – WorldFriends Networks, one of the world’s leading social Internet services, today announced that it has launched its application programming interface (API). The API enables third party website developers to create their own social Internet services using their own brand, while leveraging WorldFriends Networks’ critical mass of registered users and enjoying a new revenue stream from WorldFriends Networks’ proven recurring user subscription fee revenue.

 
In a separate announcement today, WorldFriends Networks announced the launch of a new partnership and service with Yahoo Japan Corporation, Japan’s dominant Internet company. Users can easily register for and login to WorldFriends by using their already existing Yahoo! Japan IDs. The Yahoo! Japan Wallet payment service is also integrated into the service to ensure safe and convenient access.
 

The WorldFriends Networks API represents an important historic ‘first’ for the social Internet industry. WorldFriends Networks is the first social Internet service to enable third parties to create their own social applications with proven, built-in end-user subscription fee revenues. For example, a partner could use the WorldFriends Networks API to build a service using their own brand and own custom-made GUI, features, and site map. From the first day of launch end-users will have access to the entire member base of WorldFriends Networks, ensuring a quality user experience that end-users have proven they are willing to pay for.

“This new API is a major leap forward for WorldFriends Networks, and perhaps the entire social Internet industry. This provides another powerful way for WorldFriends Networks to grow, providing users with more opportunities to socialize and enjoy themselves online,” said Dominic Penaloza, CEO and founder, WorldFriends Networks.

“With this new API, partner developers can enjoy tremendous flexibility in designing and branding their own applications that is proven to create additional engagement, pageviews and visits to their websites,” said Jim Yao, Technology Director, WorldFriends Networks.

“WorldFriends Networks already benefits from over 300 integrated partnerships within our network, including “white label” partnerships using the partner’s brand as well as “WorldFriends-branded” partnerships. This new API opens up a powerful new paradigm for partnerships, delivering major new benefits to our business partners who are demanding much more control over the 3rd party applications they integrate on their sites,” said Michael Haffner, VP International Business Development, WorldFriends Networks.

About WorldFriends Networks

WorldFriends Networks is the world’s leading multi-lingual language exchange and travel community. WorldFriends Networks offers people a high quality environment in which to enjoy ‘internationally minded’ socializing, and to meet new friends with common interests, especially in the areas of travel, culture and language learning. WorldFriends Networks aims to promote global harmony by easing language barriers and culture barriers, resulting in greater cross-culture communication.

Over 1.5 million people from 237 countries, including more than 70,000 language teachers, have registered as WorldFriends Networks members, and use WorldFriends Networks to meet new friends in cities they travel to, to find language exchange partners, penpals and teachers, and to meet other internationally-minded people. WorldFriends Networks already offers service in five languages: Japanese, English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and Korean.

For more information please visit http://www.worldfriendsnetworks.com/.

Press Contacts:
WorldFriends Networks
Yves Bennaim
Tel. +852 8198 2334
press@meta4-group.com