The rumors are true: Harvey Kaplan has joined the staff at FriendFinder Inc. In his new capacity as mobile champion (which is his official title, according to FriendFinder Marketing Director Legendary Lars), Kaplan will define and develop opportunities in the mobile realm for both FriendFinder and Streamray Inc.
FriendFinder, a division of Various Inc., operates a number of dating sites in both the mainstream and adult markets and an associated affiliate program. Streamray operates live-cam communities and an associated affiliate program.
“It’s all true,” Kaplan told AVNOnline.com on Wednesday. “My first official day here was March 13. FriendFinder brought me in to champion their entry into the mobile environment.”
According to Kaplan, FriendFinder is developing a proprietary dating application for the mobile space that will translate all of the functionality of the company’s popular dating websites to the small screen. Initially, the company plans to offer the mobile products off-deck via a Web interface, but FriendFinder hopes to migrate the solution to carrier decks worldwide in the near future. Because many of FriendFinder’s offerings are not sexually explicit – consisting primarily of soft-core photos, profiles, and text messages – the company feels its services are a natural match for mobile carriers’ needs.
The FriendFinder mobile initiative should be operating in full swing by summer, both Kaplan and Lars said.
“We brought Harvey in to take the FriendFinder strategy to another level and research new opportunities,” Lars said. “Harvey is known as ‘the man’ when it comes to mobile strategies and solutions. We’re super-happy to have him on board, and we expect great things from him.”
Lars also said FriendFinder and Streamray (at which he serves as president) are “exploring all aspects of mobile – not just dating and cams. We’re on a fast track with this. Cams.com will be migrating to mobile, as well, offering live webcam interaction on the mobile phone – chat, video, everything.”
Prior to joining FriendFinder, Kaplan served as executive vice president for strategic business development at adult Video-on-Demand powerhouse AEBN.
“Originally I was supposed to be there on a three-month contract as the director of mobile operations for Xobile [AEBN’s mobile subsidiary],” Kaplan said of his previous employment. “I was there almost two years, and now Xobile has a globally recognized brand. I plan to do the same thing for FriendFinder. That’s my passion: taking concepts from the cradle to success.”
