gBox Unveils New Digital Commerce Model for the Age of the Consumer-Driven Web
Silicon Valley Start-Up Formally Launches, Unveils Innovative Music Portal and "Gifting" Widget
Aug. 21, 2007 01:00 PM
CUPERTINO, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 08/21/07 -- gBox, Inc. (www.gbox.com), a new Silicon
Valley company, formally launched today with a new approach for digital
commerce in the age of consumer-centric environments and social networks.
The company unveiled a new music portal -- gBox.com -- and the gBox Gifting
Widget, a simple way for music labels to reach consumers via personal Web
sites, blogs and social networks.
The gBox company launch comes on the heels of news that Universal Music
Group (UMG) will direct consumers to gBox's online store for its "Open MP3
Test," a program that's making thousands of music titles available without
digital rights management (DRM). Once users are in the gBox store they can
easily setup their own gBox wishlist and publish it on their profile pages.
"The best way to reach consumers who are looking for content is to be where
consumers naturally look," said Tammy Artim, CEO of gBox, Inc. "There is
no doubt that consumers go to their favorite search engines for discovery,
and that's one of the key things UMG realized and is using for their MP3
trial. We believe the next frontier for discovery after the search engine
is the social network, and that's what the gBox Wishlist is designed for."
"gifting": an exploding online trend driving digital commerce
gBox gives consumers the ability to easily create personalized wishlists
that can be placed on their blogs, personal Web sites, social networks, and
other highly interactive venues. In addition to giving users a way to
create a list of items they'd like to get, the wishlist also keeps track of
the gifts you have given and the gifts you receive. The gifter can also
leave comments and a link to their profile page so that the giftee can meet
them and interact.
"In recent months, we've seen strong uptake in widgets being added to our
users' profile pages. We offer a widget directory on our site with a
selection of categories from photos to toys. When we first saw the gBox
music Wishlist, we realized it would be a great addition to our site," said
Greg Tseng, CEO of Tagged.com, a San Francisco-based social networking
site. "gBox takes gifting and music to the next level -- it's a really good
fit with how our social network community works."
"The gBox solution is simple, elegant, and we believe it will be very
effective," said Kevin Arnold, founder and CEO of IODA, the industry
leading digital distributor for the global independent music community. "In
the age of social networks, music labels need to go where consumers go, and
the gBox solution is designed to do just that."
gBox has closed deals with UMG, IODA and other music labels, a great
validation for the Silicon Valley start-up in its first months of
operation.
About gBox
gBox, Inc. is a new start-up that is creating a platform, portal and new
tools for a more exciting way to interact on social networking sites and
Internet venues. gBox's Wishlist widget, a social commerce widget for
gift-giving online, was developed by a team who believe commerce should
happen at the edge of the network -- in blogs, personal Web sites, and
social networks -- not just at online stores. We work with some of the
world's best-known brands, content owners and distributors to create unique
buying and gifting experiences for digital content. For more information,
go to www.gbox.com.
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