The press release
ANNOUNCING MYTHINGS-THE SECURE
CONSUMER WEBSITE FOR ORGANISING AND MANAGING PERSONAL VALUABLES
December 13, 2006 - MyThings™, the free, secure online solution for organising and managing domestic valuables, is now available in the UK (http://www.mythings.com)
MyThings allows consumers to create an online portfolio for their belongings, so they can enjoy, manage, and protect their valuables with more ease and fun. Consumers can store images, vital statistics and product details; look for product information, accessories, downloads and guides; and report lost or stolen items—for any of their valuables, ranging from consumer electronics to collectibles, cars, and appliances. MyThings members may keep their portfolios private or make selected items public, allowing them to share their product knowledge with other like-minded people.
For retailers and manufacturers, MyThings allows their customers to automatically enter purchases into a MyThings portfolio. In turn, retailers and manufacturers can communicate with MyThings members in the portfolio environment, tailored to the specific interests and preferences of the portfolio owner.
MyThings has already formed strategic partnerships with major online retailers in the UK, including Tesco Direct, Casio, Jessops, and Halfords. These companies recognise the effective marketing platform that MyThings provides, allowing them to better communicate with customers and understand their specific interests and place in the ownership lifecycle. For example, MyThings’ partners can anticipate a customer’s readiness to buy, upgrade, or replace a product, and then provide useful product information to inform purchase decisions, online registration at the point of sale, and promotions for new product versions and accessories.
MyThings also offers Trace®, an online service that helps members search for and recover stolen goods anywhere in the world. Trace is relied upon in the commercial world, where the world’s top four auction houses, representing over 80% of the market in sales volume, use Trace to verify an item’s ownership and provenance. MyThings builds upon this due diligence service to provide a highly robust commercial and consumer-oriented offering for proactively managing a broader range of valuables.
“MyThings provides a solution which has long been missing—a secure, online location where consumers can enjoy, manage, and protect their valuables,’ said MyThings CEO Benny Arbel. “MyThings also offers a powerful tool for retailers and manufacturers to develop closer relations with their customers. The power of the central portfolio, especially by automatically creating it at the point of purchase, allows retailers to offer highly targeted, relevant information that the consumer can elect to receive. This provides a formidable opportunity for both highly-effective marketing programs and customer experience.”
Jon Asbury, Channel Development Manager at Halfords, comments, "Halfords is always looking to provide new, useful benefits to our customers. By partnering with MyThings.com, our customers now have a single place to store and manage information about their Halfords purchases and other valuables. Our customers, like our staff, are often enthusiasts in their product category, and MyThings offers a number of helpful online features for users to share and compare."
Alex Dibble of Casio’s marketing division, adds, “Casio is committed to innovation, so we are pleased to be MyThings' first OEM partner. MyThings offers Casio customers added value following their purchase and product registration, including instant access to relevant services and information, as well as assistance in case of loss or theft.”
Adds Kaj Relander of Accel Partners, "MyThings brings together many of the interesting ideas we're seeing in the next stage of Internet-based Services. On the one hand, it provides a new service for consumers—a secure website to organise valuables—on the other, it is also a significant channel for manufacturers and retailers to offer very tailored information to their customers. Based on the company's track record with the Trace service, which has become the de facto standard for the art and collectibles trade, we see a very significant opportunity in the evolution to a consumer service with broader appeal."
Comments Harel Beit-On of Carmel Ventures, "MyThings brings a solid management team and proven business with Trace to really take advantage of the potential the Web 2.0 world offers—easy-to-use applications, community participation, and rich user-generated content. Given the existing retailer relationships in the UK, we see a significant opportunity to provide a rich consumer and business-oriented offering."
About MyThings MyThings is the world’s most valued registry of belongings, connecting people with relevant product information. With MyThings.com, a secure solution for organising and managing valuables online, the company enables people to enjoy, manage, and protect their belongings with more ease and fun.
An online community of like-minded owners of valuable things—ranging from consumer electronics to collectibles, cars, and appliances, MyThings provides members with information about accessories, downloads, and buying guides, as well as special offers. MyThings members may exchange product information with other members, plus refer them to useful content sources. MyThings serves as an infomediary, a trusted third-party between consumers, manufacturers, retailers, and service provides, allowing members to keep private portfolios for their own records, or post items to the public on the website.
MyThings also offers Trace (formerly known as Swift-Find), the global online database of lost and stolen valuables. Primarily for the extended fine arts community—auction houses, dealers, insurance companies, and law enforcement—Trace is the largest international registry of reported lost and stolen items. Using advanced search features and visual matching technology, Trace protects consumers and businesses from purchasing or selling stolen or looted property and helps rightful owners recover their belongings.
Founded in 2004 by technology and retail executives, MyThings is a global business with offices in Palo Alto, California; London, England; and Tel Aviv, Israel.
MyThings is a trademark and Trace a registered trademark of MyThings, Inc. Tesco Direct, Casio, Jessops and Halfords are registered trademarks of their respective companies.
December 13, 2006 - MyThings™, the free, secure online solution for organising and managing domestic valuables, is now available in the UK (http://www.mythings.com)
MyThings allows consumers to create an online portfolio for their belongings, so they can enjoy, manage, and protect their valuables with more ease and fun. Consumers can store images, vital statistics and product details; look for product information, accessories, downloads and guides; and report lost or stolen items—for any of their valuables, ranging from consumer electronics to collectibles, cars, and appliances. MyThings members may keep their portfolios private or make selected items public, allowing them to share their product knowledge with other like-minded people.
For retailers and manufacturers, MyThings allows their customers to automatically enter purchases into a MyThings portfolio. In turn, retailers and manufacturers can communicate with MyThings members in the portfolio environment, tailored to the specific interests and preferences of the portfolio owner.
MyThings has already formed strategic partnerships with major online retailers in the UK, including Tesco Direct, Casio, Jessops, and Halfords. These companies recognise the effective marketing platform that MyThings provides, allowing them to better communicate with customers and understand their specific interests and place in the ownership lifecycle. For example, MyThings’ partners can anticipate a customer’s readiness to buy, upgrade, or replace a product, and then provide useful product information to inform purchase decisions, online registration at the point of sale, and promotions for new product versions and accessories.
MyThings also offers Trace®, an online service that helps members search for and recover stolen goods anywhere in the world. Trace is relied upon in the commercial world, where the world’s top four auction houses, representing over 80% of the market in sales volume, use Trace to verify an item’s ownership and provenance. MyThings builds upon this due diligence service to provide a highly robust commercial and consumer-oriented offering for proactively managing a broader range of valuables.
“MyThings provides a solution which has long been missing—a secure, online location where consumers can enjoy, manage, and protect their valuables,’ said MyThings CEO Benny Arbel. “MyThings also offers a powerful tool for retailers and manufacturers to develop closer relations with their customers. The power of the central portfolio, especially by automatically creating it at the point of purchase, allows retailers to offer highly targeted, relevant information that the consumer can elect to receive. This provides a formidable opportunity for both highly-effective marketing programs and customer experience.”
Jon Asbury, Channel Development Manager at Halfords, comments, "Halfords is always looking to provide new, useful benefits to our customers. By partnering with MyThings.com, our customers now have a single place to store and manage information about their Halfords purchases and other valuables. Our customers, like our staff, are often enthusiasts in their product category, and MyThings offers a number of helpful online features for users to share and compare."
Alex Dibble of Casio’s marketing division, adds, “Casio is committed to innovation, so we are pleased to be MyThings' first OEM partner. MyThings offers Casio customers added value following their purchase and product registration, including instant access to relevant services and information, as well as assistance in case of loss or theft.”
Adds Kaj Relander of Accel Partners, "MyThings brings together many of the interesting ideas we're seeing in the next stage of Internet-based Services. On the one hand, it provides a new service for consumers—a secure website to organise valuables—on the other, it is also a significant channel for manufacturers and retailers to offer very tailored information to their customers. Based on the company's track record with the Trace service, which has become the de facto standard for the art and collectibles trade, we see a very significant opportunity in the evolution to a consumer service with broader appeal."
Comments Harel Beit-On of Carmel Ventures, "MyThings brings a solid management team and proven business with Trace to really take advantage of the potential the Web 2.0 world offers—easy-to-use applications, community participation, and rich user-generated content. Given the existing retailer relationships in the UK, we see a significant opportunity to provide a rich consumer and business-oriented offering."
About MyThings MyThings is the world’s most valued registry of belongings, connecting people with relevant product information. With MyThings.com, a secure solution for organising and managing valuables online, the company enables people to enjoy, manage, and protect their belongings with more ease and fun.
An online community of like-minded owners of valuable things—ranging from consumer electronics to collectibles, cars, and appliances, MyThings provides members with information about accessories, downloads, and buying guides, as well as special offers. MyThings members may exchange product information with other members, plus refer them to useful content sources. MyThings serves as an infomediary, a trusted third-party between consumers, manufacturers, retailers, and service provides, allowing members to keep private portfolios for their own records, or post items to the public on the website.
MyThings also offers Trace (formerly known as Swift-Find), the global online database of lost and stolen valuables. Primarily for the extended fine arts community—auction houses, dealers, insurance companies, and law enforcement—Trace is the largest international registry of reported lost and stolen items. Using advanced search features and visual matching technology, Trace protects consumers and businesses from purchasing or selling stolen or looted property and helps rightful owners recover their belongings.
Founded in 2004 by technology and retail executives, MyThings is a global business with offices in Palo Alto, California; London, England; and Tel Aviv, Israel.
MyThings is a trademark and Trace a registered trademark of MyThings, Inc. Tesco Direct, Casio, Jessops and Halfords are registered trademarks of their respective companies.
