| ISMagazine.com | Religion on the Net |
October, 1999 |
CROSSWALK.COM
GAINS MASS MARKET OFFLINE RETAIL DISTRIBUTION FOR ITS FREE WEB FILTERING SERVICE CHANTILLY, Va., Sep 20, 1999 Crosswalk.com, Inc, today announced a relationship with privately owned Rhinosoft Interactive, Inc., that will result in the broad retail distribution of Crosswalk's CrossingGuard web filtering system. Crosswalk.com is the leading portal and virtual community for Christians on the Web (http://www.crosswalk.com), and Rhinosoft, based in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, is a producer of Christian and family-friendly software packages.
According to the agreement, Rhinosoft's upcoming "Full Armor of God" software package will now include CrossingGuard and hot links to the www.crosswalk.com portal site, along with software from Chuck Colson, Larry Burkett, PromiseKeepers, Focus on the Family, and more. The software will be distributed beginning October 7, 1999 to over 3,500 computer, computer software chains and Christian bookstores, including Best Buy, Comp USA, and Musicland's Media Play.
CrossingGuard, which can be downloaded on the Internet at http://www.crosswalk.com/crossingguard, is a server-level filtering system that continuously blocks access to millions of adult and offensive Web sites via both sophisticated technical search features and an exhaustive human review process. Unlike other filtering solutions, CrossingGuard is available for free via a simple online registration process. It provides world-class Web access protection without paying for expensive software or a premium priced Internet service provider to gain filtering. The Rhinosoft software product will replicate the CrossingGuard Web site content and provide direct hotlinks to online registration.
"Anyone who's familiar with the Internet knows that 'free' is the price point that drives market share and product adoption," Parker said. "We expect this agreement will enhance the accelerated membership drive that crosswalk.com began with the launch of CrossingGuard last winter."
Crosswalk.com, the premier portal site for the online Christian community, was named "Christian Web Site of the Year" in both 1997 and 1998 by Best of the Christian Web (www.botcw.com). With a focus on "information for Christians, not just Christian information," crosswalk.com covers a growing spectrum of life within a Christian context. Members and visitors can now tap into channels targeting music, personal finance, careers, homeschooling, health, and sports; lifestyle channels focusing on men, women, and spiritual life; and services ranging from MyCrosswalk personalized home pages, free Web access filtering, and a full-Web filtered search engine, to online shopping, family-friendly movie reviews, games, chat, forums, local events, news, free email and more.
Crosswalk.com, Inc. (formerly DIDAX INC) is primarily known as the creator of the Web community crosswalk.com (http://www.crosswalk.com). The Company generates revenues through the sale of sponsorships and advertising; the online retailing of Christian and family-friendly products manufactured or developed by others (music, books, apparel, gifts, etc.); commissions and referral fees from co-marketing relationships; and to a lesser extent, the continuing provision of technology services to various Christian organizations.