Press Release: ExpatFinder.com & 3D Mirror World Twinity create First Expat Virtual Relocation Service

ExpatFinder.com and Twinity.com offer the first virtual relocation service with pre-arrival tours of virtual Berlin and expatriate meetings to help relocating individuals, expatriates and their families.

Singapore/Berlin, November 2009 – ExpatFinder.com, the Singapore-headquartered worldwide website today launched the first supportive virtual world relocation service to help expats and relocating individuals prior to their relocation or during their life overseas.

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Check their site for the full text.

The challenge of advertising in virtual worlds involves taking advantage of their unique features. Here’s how some film companies showcased their movies in one of these worlds.

Mirko Casper, one of the managing directors at Twinity’s parent company Metaversum, told The Local that living in a poor city such as Berlin sets up people for realistic expectations of success.

“People here were not expecting gold and diamonds earlier and they’re not getting it now,” he said.

Give it a read to learn more about the startup scene in Berlin.

A live blog of the event from Mr Topf

From mixedrealities.com:

My take on this all: we don’t know what the future will bring. It is true that email, corporate website and e-commerce needed some years to take off, but that does not mean automatically that virtual environments will take off in 3 to 5 years, as some participants at the Berlin conference said. It is what they hope what will happen, and I am sure they work hard to make it happen.

From Maxping:

Yesterday, Berlin was home to the Bizzin3d event, which hosted four interesting panel discussions and a high number of equally interesting audience members. In the course of the evening, many topics concerning virtual worlds were explored including the “big players”, who had representatives on the panels, German virtual worlds, applications for Opensim and Second Life as well as a vibrant and discussion oriented panel on the business uses (and readiness) of Opensim, on which I participated myself.

“We feel honored to receive the Red Herring 100 Europe award. This clearly confirms our vision of a 3D world based on real cities, allowing real people to interact and communicate with each other.” says Metaversum CEO Jochen Hummel. “Twinity is coming alive through our partners, including Cinestar, Berlin.de, Zitty, Be.Berlin, Bigpoint, Sony Pictures, the city of Singapore, Geek Terminal Singapore, The Digital Movement (TDM) and many others. Together with our users, they are filling our vision of a real 3D world with life.”

This nomination as one of the top 100 ground-breaking technology companies proves that, with its innovative concept of real 3D cities inhabited by a real 3D community, Metaversum offers a trend-setting contribution towards the three-dimensional web: Twinity’s realistic 3D replicas of international metropolises enable internet user from all over the world to communicate and interact with each other in a whole new way. It’s a place for real people to share experiences online in a familiar environment.

Registration and information about Twinity:
www.twinity.com

Digital press kit:

http://press.twinity.com

Press contact

Barbara Ecker
Manager Communication and Brand
Metaversum GmbH | Twinity.com
Rungestr. 20 | 10179 Berlin
Germany
Tel: +49 30 847 12 25 23
Fax: +49 30 847 12 25 29
Press@twinity.com
www.metaversum.com

Red Herring’s list of top private businesses is an important guide to identifying new and innovative technology companies. In their early years, enterprises such as Google, eBay, and Skype were recognized by Red Herring editors as significant concepts, likely to alter the way we live and work.

To pick the winners, Red Herring’s editorial staff evaluated several hundred enterprises according to strict standards, including thorough analysis of financial data and subjective criteria such as management quality, implementation of strategies, and effort in the area of research and development.

The virtual world of Twinity is currently in the open Beta phase. At www.twinity.com, you can register for free and explore the 3D world.

About Red Herring:
Red Herring is a global media enterprise that provides a network for the world’s foremost developers, investors and economic decision makers through various platforms: a market-leading magazine presenting new developments, daily online news from the hi-tech sector, newsletters, and major events for executive managers from all over the world. Red Herring offers insider knowledge regarding the global innovation economy, with a unique outlook on up-and-coming technologies. For further information, please visit www.redherring.com.

About Metaversum and Twinity:
Metaversum develops and operates the 3D online world of Twinity, pursuing the vision of closely connecting the real world with the virtual one. The most exciting metropolises of our planet, starting with Berlin, are being replicated to scale and made virtually accessible. Other cities will follow soon. With their personal avatar, Twinity members get to virtually explore real cities, move into their own 3D homes, communicate, work, and get creative with friends, or simply have fun!

Twinity offers enterprises innovative opportunities for market presence in virtual real cities with genuine people. Direct and emotional digital dialog with target groups will be possible through virtual shops, real 3D representation, in-world advertising campaigns, or product placement at virtual events. Twinity is currently in the open Beta phase. Metaversum, founded in July 2006, and financed by leading VCs, has offices in Berlin, Kiev, and Singapore. For more information, please visit www.metaversum.com and www.twinity.com.

Berlin, 05 September 2008 – At a press conference in Berlin today, Metaversum GmbH gave the starting signal for the public beta phase of its virtual world Twinity. During this test phase, Internet users can venture out and explore virtual Berlin from anywhere in the world. Singapore, London, and many other international metropolises are set to follow in the near future.

During the launch event, Berlin’s mayor Klaus Wowereit was presented with the symbolic key to the virtual city. “Innovative projects from Berlin like Twinity enable people from all around the world to experience the creative metropolis of Berlin on the Internet. This opens up a whole new dimension to Berlin. We’re especially happy to see how many new international visitors and inhabitants, virtual Berlin has already gained in the last few days,” commented Wowereit.

Germany’s capital is the first city to be rendered in the virtual world. Twinity members can now experience virtual Berlin first hand. From the Brandenburg Gate to Alexanderplatz and Hackescher Markt, members can visit virtual galleries, bars, and clubs, go shopping, meet new people, and even move in and furnish their own virtual apartments. During the public beta phase, Twinity will be constantly tested and updated, new content will be added, and the platform will be optimized with the help of member feedback.

“Our vision is clear,” said Jochen Hummel, CEO of Metaversum GmbH. “This is a trusted environment within a virtual world, lifelike, and based on real metropolises. People can live, work, and have fun here. They can also beam themselves straight into the world’s most attractive cities with a single click. With the launch of our public beta phase, we have laid the foundation for Twinity’s international rollout.”

All those interested in visiting Twinity can now register for the public beta at www.twinity.com.

Information on Metaversum and Twinity:

Metaversum develops and operates the 3D online world Twinity. Twinity links the real with the virtual world based on realistic replicas of the world’s most vibrant metropolises in 3D. Twinity members can experience virtual cities first hand, engage with real people in real cities, create personal avatars, design and live in 3D homes, communicate with friends, work or just have fun together. Twinity adds an extra dimension to real life and real cities, expanding and enriching it with all the possibilities of a virtual world. Twinity is currently in its public beta phase. Founded in July 2006 and financed by leading venture capital firms, Metaversum has offices in Berlin and Kiev. For more information, see www.metaversum.com and www.twinity.com.

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