June 4, 2008 -- Qponix today launched its widget-based network that powerfully connects brands, promotions and coupons directly with consumers as they shop online. This new solution offers retailers and manufacturers the opportunity to engage consumers more directly during purchase planning and extend online brand engagement through a portable widget.

Meijer Mealbox, the first widget developed by Qponix for Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Supercenter retailer Meijer, recently debuted at http://mealbox.meijer.com. Mealbox allows shoppers to integrate meal planning, budgeting and purchase preferences online - consumers plan a calendar of meals by selecting recipes; ingredients are automatically plugged into a shopping list, as are printable coupons for relevant sale items.

"Meijer is excited to be the first grocer to utilize the Qponix widget network," said Jeff Handler, senior vice president of marketing for Meijer. "We are committed to developing innovative approaches that provide our customers with the best shopping experiences and Mealbox is proof of that on-going commitment.

Qponix is a joint-venture of Fry Inc., an e-commerce design, development and managed services provider based in Ann Arbor, Mich. and Meijer. Prior to the launch of Qponix, Meijer and Fry Inc. worked together on a variety of Web-based marketing initiatives.

"We are proud to partner with Meijer on the development of Qponix," said David Fry, president and CEO of Fry Inc. "Qponix widgets such as Meijer Mealbox demonstrate how multiple channels of commerce can be linked together in a more logical, practical and cost-effective means, to the benefit of the end consumer, retailer and brand."

The Qponix executive team will be lead by Corbin de Rubertis as president and Kevin Thomas as chief operating officer. De Rubertis and Thomas join Qponix from Fry, where they served as members of the consulting services team. Prior to Fry, de Rubertis was with Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in Paris and Chicago and previously served as vice president of e-business at Novell. Thomas served previously as co-founder and principal at the AltaStrada Group, a Java software development firm based in San Francisco, and president of ISL Consulting, an Internet professional services firm based in San Francisco.

"The Meijer Mealbox widget is the one of the most sophisticated widgets available," de Rubertis said. "Mealbox shows how Qponix will deliver coupons in context for consumers at the exact moment of purchase consideration online and how a widget-based network provides an array of possibilities to extend customer engagement online and achieve multi-channel integration."

About Qponix

Qponix (www.qponix.com) provides retailers and consumer goods manufacturers the opportunity to engage with consumers during the purchase decision through a widget-based advertising network. Qponix seamlessly integrates promotion tools and coupons into an expanded lifestyle-related and organizational environment for consumers, placing the brand prominently and powerfully within the buying process.

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