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PRESS RELEASE Web Sites Brightens Lives of Those Without the Internet Even if you don't use the Internet, the Web can still be useful to you. Web developer IonZoft, Inc has announced two new Internet-based services, Letterwise.com and PrisonMail.org that provide friends and family members an easy, convenient and reliable way to correspond with a loved one who doesn't have or doesn't want to use the Internet. BELLWOOD, PA - In today's fast-paced world of email, cell phones, and faxes one thing seems certain; we all want to stay in touch, especially with those we love and care about. The best way to stay in touch is direct one-on-one contact, but often personal visits are not possible and long distance phone calls are limited and can be expensive. Next best is written communication, such as letters and emails, but, traditional letter writing is a lost art and many people don't have access or don't want to use the Internet. Now there's a way to stay in touch with loved ones, even those who don't have or don't use the Internet. It's called Letterwise.com. Letterwise allows friends and family members who do use the Internet to go to the Letterwise.com website and write personal messages to a loved one. Letterwise converts these messages into a physical, printed letter of up to eight pages and mails it directly to the writers' loved one. These loved ones may be in a nursing home, convalescent or assisted-living facility, homebound, in a foreign country as an aid worker, missionary or in military service. They may be away at school or summer camp. They may be in prison. Anywhere visits and phone calls are hard to arrange and connection to the Internet is not available or just not wanted. Bob Johnson, IonZoft's Project Leader for Letterwise explained, "Today, with people moving more frequently and further away from their roots, regular communication is a key part of staying connected. Letterwise.com provides a convenient, easy way to stay in touch with a loved one who doesn't have or doesn't use the Internet". Jason Garber, IonZoft's Lead Programmer, who developed the concept, was looking for way to stay in touch with a friend who had moved away and didn't have Internet access. Garber explained, "Though I wanted to do it, keeping up with letter writing was a challenge for me - as it is for many of us. I wanted to keep news flowing on a regular basis to someone who was removed from close contact with family and friends. We're not wanting to replace other ways of communicating, but to people to stay in touch more easily and frequently, so their loved one feels connected to friends and family members." Garber added, "I felt that every time I wrote it had to be a long letter; but, letters don't need to be lengthy to be appreciated. With Letterwise, I can write just a few sentences everyday if I want, giving snapshots of my life and staying in touch on a regular basis." To use Letterwise.com, a "Sponsor" opens a mailbox for a particular loved one on the Letterwise website. They can choose the one letter per week plan for $9.95 per month or two letters per week for $14.95 per month. The Sponsor can invite friends and family to join this mailbox as "Members" at no extra cost. Those members can also write personal messages using that Letterwise.com mailbox and have their messages included in the weekly letter/s. There's no limit to the number of people who can be "members" of a mailbox. Letterwise.com combines and converts all these messages confidentially into a physical, printed letter of up to eight pages and mails it directly to the recipient. Anyone can sponsor a Letterwise.com mailbox. Church, civic and social groups, outreach ministries, pen pals and support groups, anyone who wants can establish a mailbox and invite others in their group or organization to send letters to that recipient. Bill J, a Letterwise sponsor wrote, "Our family is scattered all over the country and my mother doesn't use the Internet. Often weeks went by without her hearing from us. Letterwise lets me keep her up to date on what's happening much more often and her other kids and her grandkids can use our family's Letterwise mailbox to write her." Dave P, another sponsor added, "No matter how good my intentions, I hardly ever took the time to drop a line to my aunt, who I'm certain would love to hear from me. Since I'm online nearly everyday, Letterwise makes it easy to touch base with her." IonZoft, Inc the Internet development company that developed the Letterwise.com concept also operates a sister website at www.PrisonMail.org that provides the special requirements for sending mail to prison inmates. Jeff G., an inmate recipient wrote, "I've received two letters this week, but actually it was a total of 14 that just happened to come in 2 envelopes. You can't possibly know how powerfully that encourages me and others like me to open an envelope and see that 5 or 10 people were thinking of me over the past few days." Pat K., wife of a prison inmate noted, "I don't have a lot of uninterrupted time. With PrisonMail.org I can sit down at my computer for 5 minutes, jot down a couple of thoughts, hit send and know that if I don't have a chance to do more, my husband will get something from me in the mail that week." Johnson concluded, "Our service allows someone to sit at computer anywhere there's Internet access and write a letter. They can be at home, at work, at school, at the library, anywhere they have Web access and they can write at any time. The letter can be long or short with news or updates about family life, like a copy of the kids' report card scores or news about a promotion or new baby that's coming. Keeping stories, news and updates flowing is a great way to help someone feel they're connected." You can find more information about Letterwise.com and how it may benefit you and your loved ones at the www.letterwise.com website or at www.prisonmail.org for those with loved ones in prison. IonZoft, Inc., a rapidly growing Internet development company was established in 2003 in the heart of Central Pennsylvania. It's staff of programmers, creative designers, illustrators, database managers and support personnel specialize in developing custom web solutions for businesses and organizations. Contact: |
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