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Pursuant Takes Social Networking to a New Level with Formal Launch of Unifyer

DALLAS/FT. WORTH, Texas-(Business Wire)-September 5, 2008 - After months of anticipation, Pursuant is pleased to announce the inaugural launch of Unifyer in a university setting. Unifyer is a web-based application that will decentralize communication, attract young donors, allow for self-organization, and strengthen ties between the university and its alumni. The official launch of The Association of Former Students at Texas A&M University's “My Aggie Network” Unifyer application occurred at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 28, 2008. This event marks the culmination of 18 months of design, testing, refining, and collaboration between the team at Pursuant and the leadership of The Association of Former Students.

The development of Unifyer was built on the long-standing relationship between Pursuant and The Association of Former Students at Texas A&M University. For years, Pursuant has supported the university's fundraising through dynamic and engaging eSolicitations. The Association of Former Students initially considered the possibility of building a new communication and social networking tool in-house, and eventually approached Matt Frazier, Pursuant founder and CEO, with the challenge of designing a product that would meet the needs of their specific constituencies. Frazier and his team accepted the challenge, and the result for The Association of Former Students is “My Aggie Network.”

“As we develop ways to boost affinity for our clients, there's no better partner than The Association of Former Students at Texas A&M University,” says Frazier. “The Association of Former Students is known for its unique affinity. It's the kind of loyalty other organizations would love to create. Aggies have a global following. Our clients at The Association of Former Students were strategic, progressive, and entrepreneurial enough to know that the communication and networking solutions currently available weren't going to meet their needs. They knew they needed something different and distinctive from MySpace or Facebook.”

As Frazier and his team listened to the organization's specific needs, they were able to build a communication tool that customizes the best aspects of Web 2.0 (social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook and communication sites like Blogger and Wordpress) to change the way this university community communicates with, mobilizes, and empowers their various constituencies.

“The challenges faced by our organization are not unique,” says Marty Holmes, assistant executive director of The Association of Former Students overseeing marketing and programs. “In building an efficient and effective communications tool, we've had the opportunity to serve as the consultant, the test site, and a constant focus group while helping our friends at Pursuant to design and perfect this program. We believe that this product has application for any large group of people who need to communicate easily, and we are excited about whatever common bond they may have, whether that's a university, a church, a company, or a cause.”

The Association of Former Students is proud to share the benefits of this innovation with other universities facing similar challenges. “This product will allow Aggies to connect with Aggies 24/7. Unlike Facebook or MySpace, Unifyer allows us to authenticate our users against our database of former students, so we won't be dealing with false profiles. Our individual interest groups can take responsibility for their own communication, while allowing for the ability to flag questionable content,” Holmes states. “We believe that this tool will help us engage the entire Aggie Network and keep the goose bumps and warm feelings for ‘Aggieland' alive and well.”