A Palo Alto-based startup, I-Postmortem Limited, today launched two online services -- www.i-tomb.net and www.i-memorial.com -- that will expand the boundaries of the Internet by allowing every human being to build his own immortality and leave a trace of his passage on Earth. I-Postmortem Limited has created "The World Virtual Cemetery", the resting place of the virtual memory of deceased people from all over the world.
www.i-tomb.net is "The World Virtual Cemetery".
This advertising-free website is the resting place of the I-Tombs, the Virtual Tombs of deceased people. www.i-tomb.net enables people to create virtual memorials for friends and loved ones who are already deceased. The I-Tomb is a multimedia memorial made of photos, videos, texts, music and documents that encapsulate the life of a deceased person, telling the next generations who they were, what they believed in and what the world they lived in was like.
I-Tombs can be visited by friends, family, or even the public at large, from anywhere, at anytime, to remember, share, or tell the coming generations the life stories of their ancestors. Visitors to "The World Virtual Cemetery" can also leave audiovisual tributes, light candles, place flowers and burn incense in the I-Tombs they are visiting.
I-Tombs are maintained and moderated by the descendants of the deceased to preserve the memory of ancestors and loved ones who have passed away. All I-Tomb information is stored securely online in "The World Virtual Cemetery" along with other I-Tombs that have been created by others worldwide.
www.i-memorial.com is the website that enables living people to build their own virtual memorial, leave posthumous messages and organize their affairs, for the day they depart.
www.i-memorial.com offers three secured storage spaces:
? My Memorial, where people can use text, audio and video to tell the story of their lives and leave their testimony. It will become their I-Tomb and be posted on www.i-tomb.net, The World Virtual Cemetery, the day they depart. It will be preserved for generations and accessible worldwide from any Internet connection.
? My Messages, where users can leave posthumous messages for family, friends, and colleagues. These messages are made accessible after their passing only to those who are designated and can answer security questions. Personal messages can be sent at specific delivery times in the future such as when a son turns 21, and can contain documents that one wishes to pass along securely.
? My Last Wishes, where users can leave instructions such as how and where they want to be buried or cremated, the music to be played at their funeral and where important printed or digital documents such as insurance policies and investment dossiers are located as well as where passwords to personal, financial, business and social media accounts are stored. Last wishes are communicated to designated loved ones and associates immediately upon passing.
In addition to the above, i-memorial.com offers a secure digital lockbox called Safe Box to store and conveniently retrieve important and confidential documents during one's lifetime.
All www.i-memorial.com and www.i-tomb.net content is securely encrypted and reliably stored in Switzerland, a country chosen for its international neutrality, security and stability. SAFE HOST, I-Postmortem's strategic partner, is a leading Swiss secure data warehousing company catering for some of the largest banks, telecom and Internet companies in the world.
Unlike funeral homes' online guest books and other memorial sites, www.i-memorial.com and www.i-tomb.net are designed to be permanent. I-Postmortem's business model does not rely on advertising, data selling or derived revenues. Creators of I-Tombs and I-Memorial accounts pay an annual fee to use the service. It is this user-payer model that enables I-Postmortem Limited to ensure that the service is adequately funded to be provided indefinitely, with constant investments in the latest technologies and unlimited capacity.
The Virtual Tomb market is destined to become one of the largest markets in the world and a new trend in the way we deal with Death and prepare our own death.
The world population has grown from 1.6 Billion in 1900 to 7 Billion in 2011 and 54 million people will die this year in the world. The land available for cemeteries becomes scarcer with each generation, while in some cultures, 30 percent of people already choose cremation.
"The World Virtual Cemetery provides a timely, meaningful, global solution for remembering and honoring the deceased, with no limitation of capacity, and, for the first time in the history of Humanity, the possibility to keep a lasting and vivid trace of each and every human life." said Jacques Mechelany, I-Postmortem CEO. "It is the new way forward to preserve the legacy, remember our loved ones and let the future generations know who their ancestors were. We founded I-Postmortem to meet those needs by providing convenient, cost-effective and financially sound services and preserve their legacy forever."
www.i-memorial.com and www.i-tomb.net are initially available in 16 languages. Pricing options include an annual US$50 fee for each individual I-Tomb Account and an annual US$120 fee for each individual I-Memorial Account. For more information about availability, pricing and features, visit www.i-memorial.com and www.i-tomb.net.
About I-POSTMORTEM
I-Postmortem Ltd. is a US, Delaware incorporated Corporation and its headquarters are in Palo Alto. California. The Company is privately funded and was founded by former financial executive Jacques Mechelany. It is exclusively focused on the development and operation of web applications destined to change the way people deal with Death.
The business model is a utility business model, similar to telecom operators and insurance companies. The company's long-term sustainability comes from its intrinsically sound financials. The company management comprises seasoned executives with proven track records in finance, industry, marketing and IT.
Industry Sector(s):
Internet Services
Target Markets:
Adults aged 40 to 65
With Children
Professional, white collar, with higher education levels
Computer literate - using computers/the Internet in daily life
Top quintile in terms of income and wealth
Urban
Mobile / Nomadic
Key partners
? Founders
? SAFE HOST secured data warehousing provider based in Switzerland http://www.safehost.ch/
? Management
Press kit links
1. I-Memorial Product Fact sheet
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/28866849/IPM_LaunchPressrelease_20110913/IPM_IMemorial_product%20fact%20sheet_20110913.pdf
2. I-Tomb Product fact sheet
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/28866849/IPM_LaunchPressrelease_20110913/IPM_ITomb_product%20fact%20sheet_20110913.pdf
3. FAQs
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/28866849/IPM_LaunchPressrelease_20110913/IPM_FAQs_20110913.pdf
4. Corporate background
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/28866849/IPM_LaunchPressrelease_20110913/CompanyBackground_20110913.pdf
5. Interview of Jacques Mechelany CEO - video
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/28866849/JacquesInterview-ShortREV.mp4
6. Commercial video
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/28866849/CommVer3.mp4
7. Corporate visual
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/28866849/IPM_LaunchPressrelease_20110913/IPM_viusalcorporate.zip
8. I-Tomb visual
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/28866849/IPM_LaunchPressrelease_20110913/IT_screenshoot_20110913.zip
9. I-Memorial visual
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/28866849/IPM_LaunchPressrelease_20110913/IM_screenshot_20110913.zip
10. Logos
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/28866849/IPM_LaunchPressrelease_20110913/IPM_logo_20110913.zip
11. CEO Biography
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/28866849/IPM_LaunchPressrelease_20110913/IPM_CEO_JacquesMechelanyBIO_20110913.pdf