• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, December 3, 2008

NetShelter Technology Media officially launched a suite of services today that allows publishers, marketers and consumers to share ideas and talk openly about product and services. The framework of creative services provides templates, tools and support to create custom marketing programs.

Under the umbrella "Open Media Platform," the move "formalizes and combines services" that range from technology and Web sites to best practices, branding messages, and events and trade show planning. It aims to foster "open" communication among the more than 50 million unique visitors to NetShelter's network of Web sites and encourages marketers to share ideas and opinions that are clearly identified as sponsored content.

Open Media Platform, headed by Patrick Houston, NetShelter's SVP of media and chief publisher, encourages marketers to jump in and integrate messaging with publishers to engage consumers in a new form of media. "We call it an open platform because we encourage publishers, marketers and consumers to communicate openly, Houston said. "The platforms we build are literally open. This allows you to come in and say almost anything you want about the products."

Houston, who served as editor in chief at Cnet.com prior to joining NetShelter in May, said NetShelter plans to add a video publishing platform between January and March 2009 to host and monetize content. There are three "linchpins" to the framework that focus on "targeting, integrating and engaging" the audience with publishers and marketers.

Peyman Nilforoush, NetShelter cofounder and CEO, said brands have historically "run from the openness" because they didn't want to reveal too much. "Brands felt comfortable with the one-way communication in broadcast and print, whereas the process of building the brand online takes two-way conversations between the brand and audience, not just the users but also experts covering the products," he said. "This way I hear the marketer's, the consumer's and the publisher's positions on products before I make a decision to buy."

NetShelter also unveiled a new Open Media Platform program in connection with "Last Gadget Standing," a "people's choice award" for technology that will take place at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January. An accompanying Web site, Lastgadgetstanding.com, will go live Dec. 8, showcasing tech contest submissions. The site will aggregate CES coverage from across the NetShelter network and house video of the live event where each finalist will be given four minutes to make their case, with the winner determined by the audience via an applause-o-meter.

Visitors to the "Last Gadget Standing" site are asked to follow the competition and determine their own winner by voting through the site's "Ballot Box" features. NetShelter offers the site's sponsors an opportunity to demonstrate their own products online on a video section called "sponsor's showcase."

Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) founder Robin Raskin will decide on the top 10 finalists from the list of submissions. Experts from nine NetShelter tech sites--Geek.com, Slashgear.com, i4u.com, Mobileburn.com, Phonearea.com, TG Daily.com, HEXUS.com, TechEBlog.com, and FixYa.com--also will have a vote.

NetShelter has been gaining recognition for innovations. The company, which recently surpassed Cnet.com to rank No. 1 on the list of comScore Media Metrix's Technology News Web Properties, has captured 8% of U.S. online market share, gained 15.3 million unique visitors per month, and has grown traffic more than 700%, matching momentum by social media networks Facebook and YouTube since launching in May 2006.