Zong, Gaia Online partner to bring new payment method to Web teens

Palo Alto, Calif., July, 2009 -- Zong (www.Zong.com ), the most frictionless payment service for gaming and social media publishers, today announced that it has partnered with Gaia Online, the leading hangout for teens and young adults on the Web. Gaia’s more than eight million unique monthly visitors now have the option to purchase Gaia Cash, Gaia’s virtual currency, with their mobile phone number, via the Zong mobile payment platform. Gaia Cash can then be used to obtain digital goods on the site.

“With more than eight million members conducting in excess of 100,000 transactions daily, Gaia Online represents one of the world’s most vibrant online virtual economies,” said David Marcus, Founder and CEO, Zong. “We’re confident that Gaia Online’s teen-based membership community will find Zong to be even easier than a traditional credit or debit card-based payment, and this partnership underscores the tremendous economic potential of the high-growth virtual goods industry.”

With over nine years of operating experience, Zong has high-scale connectivity with more than 100 mobile carriers worldwide. The Zong mobile payments platform features the most extensive network of direct carrier connections across the globe. Given the financial, operational and security risks inherent with aggregated carrier relationships, direct relationships with carriers are a central consideration for virtual goods, social networking and gaming companies evaluating revenue-enhancing transaction platforms.

Founded in 2003, Gaia Online is on online community that provides a fun, social environment for its members to make friends, play games, and even watch movies in Gaia's virtual theaters. Gaia also offers a broad variety of multiplayer Flash games, has its own virtual currency and an active forum and message board community.

“As one of the most active online communities and economies, we believe strongly in giving our members a wide variety of payment options available across multiple technology platforms,” said Joe Hyrkin, Vice President of Sales and Business Development, Gaia Online. “Extending the Zong frictionless mobile payment platform as a mechanism for purchasing Gaia Cash is a great opportunity for us to help members more easily and creatively express themselves via purchases.”

About Zong

Zong is the leading mobile payment service used for monetizing Web audiences in the social media and gaming industries. Noted for its frictionless user experience, Zong converts "shoppers" into "buyers" at rates up to 10 times greater than traditional payment methods, like credit cards. Zong is featured in hundreds of top applications on popular social networks like Facebook and MySpace as well as leading virtual worlds and other online gaming sites. Founded in 2000, the company leverages direct connections with leading mobile network operators around the world to provide unrivaled connectivity to mobile subscribers. For more information, please visit http://www.zong.com .

About Gaia

Founded in 2003, Gaia Online is the leading hangout on the web. More than eight million visitors come to Gaia every month to make friends, play games, watch movies in Gaia Cinemas, Gaia's virtual theaters, and participate in the world's most active online community. Gaia provides a fun, social environment that inspires individuality and creativity. With everything from art contests to discussion forums on poetry, politics, celebrities and more, to fully customizable profiles, digital characters and cars, Gaia is a place where teens can create their own space and express their individual style. For more information, visit www.gaiaonline.com .

Source: Company press release.