Jangl's approach of partnering with online social communities continues to gain traction. By going directly to the social networks and becoming a direct part of their experience, they can't be "banned" the same way "widgets" can.

This time around, they are partnering with Fubar, "the first online bar and happy hour." Reminds me of one of the original use cases for virtual numbers: give people a way to hook up without divulging your true information.

Full press release after the jump.

Jangl Voice-Enables Fubar: Suddenly, It's Easy to Talk
to Someone You Meet at "The First Online Bar and Happy Hour"

 

Jangl Connects the Phone and the Web for 1.2 Million Members
at Fast-Growing Fubar

 

PLEASANTON, Calif.
- Oct. 9, 2007 - At
most "happy hour" gatherings, sending someone a complimentary drink
is easy.  Getting their phone number can be a little trickier.  For
the more than one million members of Fubar, however, both maneuvers are now
simple and risk-free.

 

Jangl, Inc., the company connecting millions of online profiles
and mobile phones, safely and privately, today announced it is bringing its
"call anyone, anywhere, now" capability directly to the profiles of
all 1.2 million members of fubar, the first online bar and happy hour that
calls itself "the Facebook for grown-ups."

 

Now, fubar members can not only sidle up to the bar, buy rounds of
drinks, and make conversation online - they can also easily get phone
numbers to call or leave voicemails for fellow members, bringing their online
relationship offline, without the risks associated with giving out their real
phone numbers.

 

"Online communities are obviously about self-expression and
connection and sharing - but that doesn't mean people want to share their personal
phone number on their profile," said Michael Hedlund, CTO and co-founder
of fubar.

 

"For fubar, Jangl now helps people achieve both openness and
privacy, simultaneously, with the friends they've formed relationships with
online, and using the phone that's with them day and night.  We believe
that providing people that level of connection and freedom will help fuel
fubar's continued dramatic growth," added Michael Cerda, CEO and
co-founder of Jangl, Inc

 

Jangl now provides voice capabilities in well over 20 million
online profiles, allowing consumers to connect their online personas via phone
while protecting their real numbers.  For participants of social networks,
Jangl provides a new, compelling, feature-rich and safe way to talk on the
phone.  For online communities of all kinds, a partnership with Jangl
creates a differentiating service that increases usage, engagement and revenues
by extending communities to the mobile handset.

 

About Jangl in fubar

By clicking on a simple Jangl "Call Me" link, now
located in every fubar profile, members can:

 

• Get anonymous phone numbers to safely
  talk with or leave voicemails for other fubar users


• Access their Jangl inbox to listen to and
  organize voice messages from new friends


• Control who calls them and how incoming
  calls are handled

 

Fubar offers consumers a unique social networking experience that
lets members sit at a virtual bar, buy rounds of drinks, converse with others
or simply "listen in," and more.  fubar is a Silicon
Valley company dedicated to innovating user-to-user interactions,
which counts among its investors and advisors James Hong and Jim Young. 
Hong and Young co-founded HOTorNOT.com, a rating site that has become a
worldwide phenomenon over the last several years.

 

"fubar members join because they're looking to meet new
people and connect with old friends," says Dave
Yoo, VP of Marketing at fubar.  "What Jangl does is
complement our unique online experience with a real offline behavior that will
bring even more life to the party on fubar."

 

Jangl's launch with fubar comes as the company continues a string
of engagements with the world's top social networking, social media and online
personals sites.  Jangl currently powers calling capability for Facebook
members with its Phonebook application; at online personals sites Match.com and
Various, publisher of the FriendFinder properties; at social networking site
Tagged.com,  In the near future, versions of the popular Jangl service
will be deployed at lifecasting media site Justin.tv; dating and relationship
community site True and leading social networking site Friendster. 

Additionally, Jangl enables consumers worldwide to "call anyone, anywhere,
now" via its website, and to connect via published "CallMe"
links and Jangl widgets deployed across the most popular blogging communities
on the web.

 

About fubar

With
over 1.2 million users, fubar is the Facebook for grown-ups, bringing the first
online bar experience to the Internet.  From virtual drinks, the only
online Happy Hour on the Internet, to virtual bartender advice by posting
questions to the entire community, fubar has brought a completely unique and
engaging experience to Internet users who are looking for a different and fun
way to socialize online.  Fubar is headquartered in Menlo Park, Calif. 
For more information, visit http://www.fubar.com or email

bizdev@fubar.com.

 

About Jangl

Jangl™
is the social communications leader, bringing phones and online identities
together for millions who socialize, share and create online.  Our voice
service is available in more than 20 million online profiles, distributed
directly to consumers at Jangl.com and through partnerships with global leaders
in social networking, mobile, digital media and communications and dating and
relationship communities.  Jangl has been honored as a Supernova 2007
"Connected Innovator," a 2007 Red Herring 100 North America winner,
and an AlwaysOn 100 nominee, and is a sought-after contributor to industry
dialogue, having spoken worldwide at conferences produced by Dow Jones, Red
Herring, Supernova, Pulvermedia's VON, ETRE, and O'Reilly
Network.  Jangl's management team hails from successful consumer and
technology companies, including Skype, Redback Networks, PodShow, Microsoft,
WebTV, Sprint Nextel, and Lucent Technologies.  Jangl's investors include
Cardinal Venture Capital, Labrador Ventures and Storm Ventures, which together
have invested $9 million.  Jangl is headquartered in Pleasanton, Calif.,
and is available on the web at http://www.jangl.com and via
telephone at 1.925.271.5050.

 

Jangl is a trademark of Jangl, Inc.  All other trademarks are
property of their respective owners.