INgage Networks
INgage Networks is a provider of enterprise social software and services for business and government customers. The Company markets its solutions to the Enterprise 2.0 and Government 2.0 industries. Co-founded in 1999 as 'Neighborhood America' by Kim Patrick Kobza and David Bankston, the Company changed its name to INgage Networks January 1, 2010. INgage Networks is a privately funded company headquartered in Naples, Florida.
Company Timeline
1999 - Company co-founded as Neighborhood America by Kim Patrick Kobza and David Bankston. Initial focus is on the public sector, and early projects include public outreach for Golden Gate Park, the Stapleton Airport, and the Erie Canal.
2001 - The nation responds to the [...] attacks on September 11, 2001 with a unified voice. Neighborhood America’s solution becomes the technology supporting public outreach for Imagine New York, an initiative that unites the public and - through media, celebrity endorsements and public service announcements - invites citizens to share ideas for memorializing the World Trade Center. Shortly after, Neighborhood America's technology is selected to support public outreach for a design competition for the Flight 93 National Memorial.
2004 - Neighborhood America and IBM reach a business partner agreement, whereby the two companies will serve the public sector with a jointly branded product, the IBM – Neighborhood America Public Comment Service .
2006 - Neighborhood America acquires MOVO Mobile in October to expand its online platform to include mobile social network communities.
2008 - In February, company releases ELAvate, its newest enterprise social networking platform. In May, ELAvate is named among the SIIA CODiE Awards winners as ‘best social networking solution.
2009 - (January) Enhances social computing solutions with development of Business Services.
(March) Neighborhood America becomes Microsoft Certified Partner and supports Microsoft’s first Gov 2.0 community.
(May) Company’s ELAvate platform wins second consecutive CODiE Award by the SIIA for ‘best social networking solution’.
(June) Company awarded U.S. Patent 7548930: 'Platform for management of internet based public communications and public comment.'
(June) Enhances platform with introduction of company's data warehouse and social analytics for greater business intelligence.
(November) Neighborhood America achieves Gold level status as Microsoft Certified Partner.
2010 – (January) Company announces name change. As of January 1, 2010, Neighborhood America becomes INgage Networks..
Solutions
Neighborhood America’s ELAvate platform is a web application delivered through a Software as a Service model that enables organizations to create a brand community. Neighborhood America solutions provide the Web 2.0 tools expected in a community building platform:
- Conversations facilitated through blogs, wikis, forums, online chat and messaging.
- Ability to manage all forms of user-generated content, including mobile content, with video conversion to standard Flash Video.
- Collaboration software to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and peer-to-peer reviews with ratings and rankings (reputation system), member profiles, tagging and search.
- Contextual advertising and multiple ad revenue placements.
To service enterprise needs, the solution also offers:
- Service Oriented Architecture to allow applications to be delivered via ‘building blocks’ so that customers can deploy software modules quickly, whether market or event-driven.
- Open API, important when integrating enterprise social software into existing systems like Customer Relationship Management (Social CRM).
- Data Warehouse that enables deep analytics and reporting to gain business intelligence
With the social networking applications of ELAvate at the core of its offerings, the company offers the following Business Services to meet specific business needs:
ELAvate Community – complete brand community
ELAvate Crowdsourcing – ideation (idea generation) and user generated content
ELAvate Public Comment – public comment
ELAvate MOVO – mobile marketing
Awards
2009 Codie Awards Winner of 'Best Social Networking' Solution , SIIA Retrieved February 2, 2010
2009 ITFlorida 2009 Excellence in Web 2.0 Award .
2009 Web Marketing Association WebAwards .
2009 Communicator Awards, Winner of Five Gold Communicator Awards for Marketing Excellence .
2008 Codie Awards Winner of 'Best Social Networking' Solution , SIIA.
2008 Web Marketing Association WebAwards
2007 Global Award for 'Best Use of Mobile Marketing, Cross-Media Integration' - (Adidas, Isobar Communications, Neighborhood America) by Mobile Marketing Association
2007 IBM Top Star Award
2007 BPT Partners Steppin' Out Award Finalist
2003 American Planning Association (APA) American Vision Award for Imagine New York