New social networking site, Fairfield LIVE, launches today at Fairfield University | Press Releases

Fairfield University has launched its own social networking site, Fairfield LIVE at www.fairfield.edu/fairfieldlive , to create a vibrant online community where visitors can find official and member contributed videos and photos, blogs, audio podcasts, and message boards. The idea is to showcase Fairfield University - its activities, values, and people - through the first-hand experiences of students, staff, faculty and visitors.

While most universities are spreading out their social media across several platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, Fairfield LIVE offers one platform that brings together all the best functionality of those sites and provides a managed space for vital peer-to-peer interaction and student-faculty engagement.

KickApps, a leading social and media platform headquartered in New York City, powers over 85,000 websites for Fortune 1000 brands, global media & entertainment companies, professional sports, small business and nonprofit organizations, including National Geographic to HBO and the New York Knicks. Fairfield University is a natural market given the high concentration of interest among 13 to 22-year-olds. Alex Blum, CEO of KickApps, says "Social networks like Fairfield LIVE appeal to our inherent desire to express ourselves and connect with others who share similar interests."

"The success of Facebook and MySpace show that users want a forum to socialize,
engage, and learn - their way," says Scott Barnett, director of Web Communications at Fairfield. "Fairfield LIVE was built on a robust platform and channels the best of the social media experience into one space - with the privacy and toolset needed on the backend that does this very wisely."

The synergy between Fairfield LIVE and popular social media sites is expected to be strong, says Barnett, with members of communities such as Facebook, Yahoo, and Google able to join Fairfield LIVE using their respective community username/id. A Facebook connect feature on LIVE will push out their updates from the University site to their profiles on Facebook as well.

A cooperative venture between the departments of Web Communications and Undergraduate Admission, Fairfield LIVE will offer current and prospective students a forum to interact and discuss the Fairfield experience with each other. In the upcoming year, other key areas such as Student Affairs, Recreation, Athletics, Alumni, and Academics are expected to become a vital part of the online community.

"While our goals for marketing the University have not changed," says Rama Sudhakar, vice president of Marketing and Communications, "the way we can market to potential students has changed. Students want to participate and engage others in their learning and developmental experiences, so we anticipate a lively exchange on the boards, in the blogs, and lots of video posts by both our online tour guides and participating members."

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