June 23, 2008

Virtual Dating Tools Introduced For Internet Dating Sites

A growing trend in online dating is the use of avatars and virtual worlds, according to reports by NBC, E! and the venerable Scientific American. Consumers seem to be reacting favorably to this, according to a Harvard University study which found that virtual dating leads to more successful relationships.

As dating sites scramble to keep up with competition, one company, OmniDate.com, offers partner sites a fully outsourced virtual dating application. With the OmniDate technology, an online site can seamlessly and easily add a virtual entertainment component and dating tool, according to Igor Kotlyar, Ph.D., founder and CEO of OmniDate.com

While using the OmniDate application, daters are represented by avatars of their choosing. The dates also get to pick a virtual place for their date, such as a swanky lounge, a laid-back beach resort, or a hip bar or restaurant. While the couple communicates through advanced text messaging, the animated avatars can laugh, act surprised, smile and even touch, adding a realistic dating dimension.

“Our goal at OmniDate is to make the online dating experience more fun and online daters more successful,” says Kotlyar, who has a Ph.D in behavior psychology. “On our consumer testing site we found that the average virtual date lasted over 30 minutes, with some over an hour, illustrating this success.”

The technology brings a unique ice breaker onto online dating sites with games and prompts to get people talking. This premium entertainment component helps sites retain and gain referrals. It also serves as a platform for developing new revenue opportunities with product placement, virtual gifts and music downloads.

Mark Brooks, an analyst and consultant to the internet dating industry, commented,”OmniDate is the next step on from ‘plain Jane’ instant messaging and allows dating sites a great differentiator from their social networking brethren.”

An early innovator in virtual dating, OmniDate allows partner sites to easily integrate the advanced technology at a relatively low cost while branding the product as their own. “Dating sites don’t have to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars building their own virtual dating worlds … they can go from “typical” to “state-of-the-art” by simply integrating the OmniDate application to create a seamless experience for their users,” said Kotlyar.

He adds that the application is extremely addictive. “Once people start virtual dating, they become fascinated by the experience, and by the practicality of getting to know someone in real time,” said Kotlyar.

About OmniDate

OmniDate utilizes the latest in virtual technology to create dating scenarios to introduce people to each other. The setting may be a lounge, a restaurant or a resort, with games to help further the mission of getting to know someone new. The goal of OmniDate is to take the dating experience from the small computer screen to the bigger screen of life. The company was founded by husband and wife team, Igor Kotlyar, Ph.D. and Ravit Abelman. The beta site launched in 2008 and OmniDate is based in Toronto. #####