The future of business networking: Viadeo launches in the UK

Viadeo, a business social network with over one million members across Europe, has today launched in the UK

Allows business professionals to grow their network of clients, suppliers and business partners and recruit or be recruited online

Fast growing Web 2.0 network with 3,000 new members joining every day

Now available in English, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese and Italian

Viadeo has today been launched in the UK. With nearly 3,000 new members joining every day, Viadeo is taking business networking into the twenty-first century by allowing professionals to find clients, suppliers, business partners, jobs and employees from all over the world online.

As the concept of ìa job for lifeî has eroded and business people move around the world, it has never been harder to keep track of all the valuable contacts we have developed throughout our business career. Viadeo seeks to tackle these problems, by allowing business people to create, maintain and grow a network of trusted connections in a secure, global online community.

International reach
Originally founded by a network of 200 high-flying entrepreneurs in France, Viadeo started as a private network of business people who realised that they could share key business information and solutions to day-to-day business problems if they networked together on the Internet. Today, Viadeoís Web 2.0 network is truly international and users can store personal profiles in English, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese and Italian. It will soon be available in other languages including Chinese.

Business community
With Viadeo, users can not only create personal profiles online but also actively participate in the business community aspect of the network. From windsurfing to the stock market and fine wine to digital marketing, Viadeoís ìhubsî allow business people to network and discuss their interests with like-minded people all over the world through discussion boards, forums, blogs and RSS feeds. All new UK members will get three free monthsí of Premium Services. After this free period, some of the existing features will be reserved to Premium members, but 70% of the features will remain free of charge.

ìOnline social networks are no longer just for kids,î says Peter Cunningham, UK Country Manager, Viadeo. ìTeenagers have been meeting old and new friends and participating in online communities for years using social networking websites like Facebook and MySpace, and businesses would be missing a trick if they didnít. More than just an online address book, Viadeo allows business people to build their business networks online and meet and exchange information and views with members sharing common interests, backgrounds or pastimes. With Viadeo, online networking often leads to offline meetings and for us networking is more than just a website. However, online communities make it easier to meet valuable new people, wherever they are in the world.î

Viadeo is live in the UK now at www.viadeo.co.uk. If you would like to speak to Viadeoís UK Country Manager, Peter Cunningham, about business social networking or the new Viadeo service, please contact Jodie Simpson or Annabel Kirk on 44 (0) 20 7592 1200.