SOURCE: Zvents

January 28, 2008 06:30 ET

Zvents Launches "Federated Local Search" for Advanced, Integrated, and Relevant Local Search Results

The First Local Search Engine to Provide a Localized Version of Google's Universal Search

SAN MATEO, CA--(Marketwire - January 28, 2008) - Zvents today announced the launch of Federated Local Search, which provides users with a blended, comprehensive local search engine. Beginning today, Federated (or blended) Local Search results on Zvents will integrate traditional business listings with local events, movies, store sales, performances, sports, venues, and restaurants to deliver things to do, places to go, and people to see through one search experience.

With innovative search technology and a robust analytics platform, Zvents aggregates content from various sources including images, text, local reviews, events, news, and business listings to deliver blended personalized results ranked according to overall search and local relevance. Results are all encompassing, and are presented and denoted as belonging to one of five different categories: events, movies, performers, venues, and restaurants. A Zvents icon visually represents which category the results fall under.

"Our objective is to help users find what they need quickly and effortlessly," said Ethan Stock, Zvents CEO and co-founder. "Federated Local Search will enhance the user's search experience by instantly providing one convenient list of local search results for a more accurate response to a search query for everything to do."

Zvents offers its search platform to media, local, travel, real estate, and general interest websites that want to feature a local search engine and event calendar. Zvents currently powers search and local content for more than 200 media partners such as LA.com and Boston.com, as well as newspapers including the Detroit News, Denver Post, and the San Jose Mercury News. Federated Local Search will roll out to media partners in the coming months to bring a unique local search experience to users and an invaluable opportunity for local businesses.

Zvents' platform is free to use and list not only businesses, but can also be used by marketers to promote events and activities to transition online customers to offline stores and destinations. A listing with Zvents reaches millions of unique users around the world throughout the entire Zvents network.

About Zvents

Zvents is the leading local search engine for things to do. Zvents provides a complete and compelling user experience, enabling users to find, contribute, share and promote events, local business listings and venues, and performers. The company aggregates rich event information from the open web, user-contributed content, and links high-quality editorial content from partners with its local event index. With the Zvents Media Platform, Zvents' local content index and search engine powers media partners and publishers with dynamic local event content and a reverse publishing platform to move indexed content direct to print. For more information, visit www.Zvents.com.