It's Alive! PowerInbox Transforms Traditional Static Email Into Live, Interactive, Engaging Email

Published on Wednesday, 08 February 2012 11:08 Written by TradersHuddle Staff

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 8, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Static HTML email may become a legacy of the past with today's introduction of the PowerInbox API – the first email technology to enable live content to operate directly within the body of an email.

PowerInbox's API (Beta) enables developers, publishers, mailers, content owners and a host of others to transform the modern email experience. Companies using PowerInbox can incorporate ecommerce, videos, photos, real-time updates and more within the body of email messages. Interactive emails built using PowerInbox work exactly the same across all supported platforms.

"Until today, people interacted with emails by hitting reply or forward, or by clicking on URLs to launch webpages – taking you outside the context of email," explained Matt Thazhmon, founder and CEO of PowerInbox. "All this back-and-forth drains productivity and effectiveness. PowerInbox lets people stay where interaction begins – inside emails."

Partner Innovation

To explore the multitude of possibilities enabled by its API, PowerInbox has been working with partners in different industries. Today, ten companies are announcing interactive emails using PowerInbox:

• Followup.cc: Enables one-click snoozing of emails for later review.
• Fundraise: Allows donations inside emails.
• NextWidgets: Browse store items inside emails.
• OmniStrat: Enables response to SocialStrat panel activity within emails.
• Senexx: Facilitates construction of enterprise knowledge inside emails.
• Smak: Enables communication alerts within emails.
• Symbyoz: Connect with your network inside emails.
• TimeTrade: Schedule meetings within emails.
• TumbleCube: Enables project management inside emails.
• Vsnap: Allows Vsnap videos to be viewed within emails.

Vsnap CEO David McLaughlin said his company is using the PowerInbox platform because it greatly enhances social engagement for users. "Vsnap allows people to send video messages through email. Allowing recipients to view those videos right in the body of emails promotes a rich and immediate experience. For Vsnap, PowerInbox is a perfect fit and really gives our audience instant, immediate access to the basic benefits our service provides."

Rupert Schmidtberg, Products VP for TimeTrade, said, "Thousands of companies and individual business people use TimeTrade's 'Click to Schedule' applications to increase website conversion and reduce the effort on lead qualification. Now, anyone who has PowerInbox will be able to review offered appointment times directly from within their email. If you don't have PowerInbox, you can still schedule an appointment using the link in the email. PowerInbox provides a vastly improved user experience."

Senexx CEO Zeevi Michel said, "The Senexx value proposition is built around emails. The main way our audience uses the system is through emails. Unfortunately, traditional emails are static. PowerInbox brings engagement to emails and our users can now enjoy full interactive system capabilities right inside their comfort zone, their emails."

How PowerInbox Works

The PowerInbox API is designed to be intuitive with an easy to use developer interface. The PowerInbox platform currently supports Outlook, Gmail, Hotmail and Yahoo Mail through Firefox, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Safari and Rockmelt. Support for Thunderbird is expected by end of Q2 2012 with mobile devices supported later this year. Those deciding not to upgrade to the new platform can still view the original, static emails.

Matt Johnson, president of OmniStrat, found it easy to incorporate the PowerInbox platform into its communications model. "Dead simple, that's how I would define the ease of development using PowerInbox. The minimal effort needed to implement PowerInbox into our service versus the live functionality we now offer end-users made adopting the new platform a no-brainer."

Thazhmon pointed out that companies adopting PowerInbox gain the advantage of a new and engaging form of communication that is very simple to build. "Startups, small businesses, email marketing services, and advertising or marketing agencies can now reach out to an audience in new and exciting ways," he said. "We're looking forward to seeing just how innovative people can be with this new platform."

For more information please visit http://powerinbox.com/learnmore.

About PowerInbox:

Founded in 2010, PowerInbox is an email technology company that is transforming people's online communications – enabling live, interactive emails inside of most popular email services, such as Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo Mail and Outlook.  Content providers, marketers, social communicators and others use the PowerInbox platform to create fun, engaging and valuable opportunities for recipients to watch, play, shop, share, listen, rent, find, learn, survey, schedule and more -- all inside of their emails.  

Based in Cambridge, Mass., the company's investors include Atlas Ventures, Longworth Venture Partners, Correlation Ventures, Egan-Managed Capital, Founder Collective, along with a wide range of angel investors.

The PowerInbox logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=11567

CONTACT: Jim Llewellyn
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