PR Newswire Launches ProfNet Connect, the Groundbreaking, Interactive Online Expert Community

Enhanced Communications Platform Allows Users to Interact Directly Via Forums, Blogs and Messaging

Expert Pages Feature In-Depth Profile Building; Video, Photos, Multimedia Content

New York – September 16, 2010 /PRNewswire/-- Building upon the communication industry’s leading expert database, PR Newswire today unveiled ProfNet Connect, the groundbreaking, interactive online expert community designed for communications professionals and the media.

ProfNet Connect extends the core benefits of ProfNet, an essential tool for the PR community and the media since 1992, by delivering an enhanced set of social media and content management features that promote more targeted and interactive exchanges of ideas and resources. The new system is uniquely designed around a robust, centralized communications hub that brings together expert profiles, topical blog posts, and enables users to engage in real-time conversations through forums and groups. ProfNet Connect has replaced the ProfNet Experts Database.

“ProfNet Connect not only represents a significant enhancement to the ProfNet platform, but it offers a leap forward in how professionals on all sides of the media equation organize their outreach, share information, and engage in conversation,” stated Sandra Azzollini, director, Online Content and Community, PR Newswire.

ProfNet Connect also offers significantly enhanced profile building capabilities that allow subscribers and the general public, alike, to create detailed expert pages that showcase areas of expertise, viewpoints on issues, and general availability, as well as photos, videos, white papers and speaking abstracts accredited to the expert source. Reporters, bloggers, authors and event coordinators can then use ProfNet Connect to access the profiles to conduct research and outreach to the expert directly. All enhanced expert profiles on ProfNet Connect are made instantly available to the media and are indexed by major search engines.

Azzollini continued, “Not only will ProfNet Connect change the way the media engages with experts, but it provides a new way for peers to interact, find like-minded influencers with whom to collaborate around topics, see how other experts are positioning themselves around relevant issues, and gives all users a look into what topics are percolating.”

ProfNet Connect can be accessed, free of charge, via www.prnewswire.com/profnetconnect by all members of the media, communications professionals and the general public. Once logged in, all users will have the ability to create and search expert profiles.

The foundation of the ProfNet experience – the daily email distribution of media queries – will remain an essential component of ProfNet. Subscribers will continue to have full access to breaking reporter queries and calls-to-action via the daily email distributions and online communications platform. Subscribers will also benefit from additional functionality on ProfNet Connect.

About PR Newswire

PR Newswire is the global leader in innovative communications and marketing services, enabling organizations to connect and engage with their target audiences worldwide.

Through its multi-channel distribution network, audience intelligence, targeting, compliance, and measurement services, PR Newswire helps corporations and organizations conduct rich, timely and dynamic dialogues with the media, consumers, policymakers, investors and the general public, in support of building brands, generating awareness, impacting public policy, driving sales, and raising capital.

Pioneering the commercial news distribution industry 56 years ago, PR Newswire connects customers with audiences in more than 170 countries and in over 40 languages through an unparalleled network of offices in 16 countries across North and South America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, and via unique affiliations with the leading news agencies across the globe. PR Newswire is a subsidiary of United Business Media Limited (UBM.L), a leading global business media company that serves professional commercial communities around the world. For more information, go to www.unitedbusinessmedia.com.