Hoping to attract an estimated 12 million seniors who are already online, and 10 million who could follow in the next two years, La Jolla-based Retired.com has debuted its Internet site for Web browsers ages 50 and older.
The dot-com is marketed as “a peer-to-peer information exchange portal” , and something upbeat to boot.
“Unlike many senior sites, which are heavily associated with health care, geriatric needs and senior legislation, Retired.com focuses on celebrating the positive life accomplishment and admired status of being retired,” said a statement released by the company.
Officially launched in late October, Retired.com offers free E-mail, news, magazine-like features, links to thousands of specialized Web sites, and links to vendors, such as those in the travel industry. Planned are discussion groups, a picture sharing service on personal home pages, and online games and clubs, among other things.
The company’s publicists project a low cash burn rate and profitability in less than six months.
Founders of the business include Darren Hardy, its president, and Scotty Kufus, its CEO. Retired.com’s founders put up initial capital for the project. An undisclosed Orange County hotel development and management company put up “significant venture funding” for the project early last month.
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Venture Group Winner: San Diego’s Akonix, Inc. won the $15,000 prize in the San Diego Venture Group’s business plan competition in October. Prediction Sciences and Personal Robotics, Inc. also took part in the competition.
Akonix provides infrastructure applications for business-to-business and business-to-consumer Internet sites. The company’s software makes it possible to know who is on a Web page and provides E-mail, instant messaging, chat rooms, message boards and registration.
Making Things Discreet: Science Applications International Corp. will provide technical security for drugstore.com, inc., a Bellevue, Wash.-based online retailer and health information Web site, the two companies announced last month.
SAIC also will help the retailer comply with the new electronic transaction and patient confidentiality standards of the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (or HIPAA). The new standards apply to patient information that is electronically maintained or transmitted. There are civil and criminal penalties for not complying with the standards.
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Counting Up Clients: San Diego-based Bay Logics, Inc., which produces software that lets companies keep tabs on leases and other aspects of tending their real property, announced third quarter purchasers for its SiteSeer product included The Container Store, Musicland, First Virginia Bank, Excel, Goodyear Tires, Petco, Long John Silvers and AMC Theaters. Ubrandit.com, an American Stock Exchange-listed San Diego company, will wholesale Internet access service to New York-based Zodiac Caf & #233; and Michigan-based Gigatel, which will market the service under their own brands. Gigatel serves industry; Zodiac serves astrology devotees. Officials at Asymtek of Carlsbad say one of their M-2000 fluid dispensing systems has sped up production at the research and development operation of electronics giant Philips in Sunnyvale. Asymtek is a subsidiary of Nordson Corp. of Westlake, Ohio. Bidland Systems of San Diego, an application service provider specializing in online auctions, announced Fullconcept.com, Inc. of San Jose is using its AuctionSite Builder for an auction of memorabilia from the rock band Megadeth. Other recent clients for Bidland (presumably offering less-ominous-sounding merchandise) include KPBS, the San Diego Padres Foundation, the state of Michigan, MP3.com and the International Bear Foundation.
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