FriendFinder's New IMC Gives Members Wide Range of Instant Features to Meet that Special Someone

PALO ALTO, CA - February 9, 2005 -- FriendFinder California Inc., the world's largest online dating network, today announced FriendFinder Instant Message Center (IMC) moving online dating beyond the website boundary to deliver the instant gratification of an online real time conversation. The FriendFinder IMC client allows FriendFinder members to see up to 25 million members online at any given moment and immediately engage in lively real time banter, sharing photos or video webcam to get even more intimate. FriendFinder draws more than 20 million individuals a month with a variety of online communities built specifically for different populations based on culture, age, sexual preference or religious interest, improving the rate of successful and satisfying relationships found online.

The FriendFinder IMC enables online daters to instantly and anonymously strike up a conversation or video conference with other members across all of the Friendfinder sites. With over 53 million Americans and over 100 million worldwide using instant messaging to communicate socially and in business, according to the 2004 Pew Internet and American Life Project, FriendFinder created the IMC to enable users to more easily find and connect with companions.

"For many, IM is rapidly becoming a preferred communications method of choice with 'chat' sessions often lasting more than one hour," said Andrew Conru, FriendFinder founder and CEO. "As the leader in the online dating industry, FriendFinder believe it is important to offer the newest technologies that help people to connect, and IM use is expected to exceed email in the next few years and will be as prevalent as email by 2008. We're pleased to continue to lead the industry in providing new innovations and services that match today's online lifestyle.”

FriendFinder's IMC underlines how the company is at the forefront of how online dating is fundamentally changing the way relationships are formed by delivering the customization, technology and creative programming needed to fuel the growing trend. With over 20 different sites that meet the needs of several distinct populations and with FriendFinder IMC supporting multiple languages including Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, French, Italian and Tagalong, FriendFinder clearly continues to be the authoritative voice of singles around the world.

FriendFinder's IMC allows users to search by site and receive a complete list of online IMC members organized by those geographically closest. The list can also be filtered by gender. In addition, IMC allows users to view a list of members that match their preferences and view their profiles instantly.

Users can then set up a list of regular friends and when they connect to the IMC network, online friends will be in green, offline friends in red. Messages to and from people within an individual’s Friend Network are automatically accepted, and a chat window will open. Incoming messages from members not in the person’s Friend Network can either be accepted, declined, provide access to the member's profile, or be ignored.

IMC also allows users to go to the site's homepage, view email in their Message Center, update their profile, go directly to the site's Search page or chat rooms, or upgrade an account. Once logged into the FriendFinder IMC, the user doesn’t need to re-enter their login information or password to visit any of the sites.

Members with publicly available webcam streams will have a webcam icon next to their name. Clicking the icon allows the user to see live images from that person’s webcam. A user can see who is viewing their webcam at anytime on the Who's Viewing Me link as well.

The FriendFinder network spans the widest possible range of lifestyle choices and special interests - from Jewish FriendFinder for the Jewish community and Senior FriendFinder for adults over the age of 40 to sites oriented to gay and casual dating lifestyles, such as OutPersonals and Passion.com. Other FriendFinder websites are tailored to specific groups and languages, including Asia FriendFinder (for the worldwide Asian community), and Amigos (a Latin dating site in English, Spanish and Portuguese).

In fact, over 89 million users have participated in the FriendFinder network since its inception in 1996, underscoring its unmatched leadership in the marketplace with our 75,000 new member daily sign-ups.

About FriendFinder California Inc.
Headquartered in Palo Alto, CA, FriendFinder California Inc. is the largest global operator of dating and social networking Web sites with a growing network of 20 multicultural and multilingual dating and relationship sites. With over 89 million registered members since its inception in 1996 and over 25 million active members, FriendFinder California Inc. enables members to privately and anonymously meet people with similar interests in a safe, exciting environment.