MediaConnect Australia has launched PRWire.com.au, a newswire service that provides a better way for web users to receive news releases and acts as another valuable distribution vehicle for its business and PR subscribers.


PRWire.com.au has already been accepted into the Google News index, offering valuable search engine visibility to companies that distribute their press releases via MediaConnect's service. MediaConnect subscribers, which include almost all Australian technology PR practices, are able to distribute their releases via the ITJourno portal and now PRWire.com.au as part of the basic service for free.


The PRWire.com.au newswire leads the world in terms of the sophistication of its service, enabling users to create their own personal news feeds covering any sector that is of relevance to them. Users simply apply filters to narrow down the service to their particular interests and then create an RSS feed or daily email newsletter based on their selection. A Twitter service is also to be launched in the near future and all announcements continue to be distributed via MediaConnect's journalist portal.


PRwire.com.au's RSS builder also means any publisher can easily build a news announcement service into their website, providing users with additional content and the media companies with further advertising opportunities.


A Digg-like interface also allows users to view which releases are most popular at any given time.

PRWire.com.au is currently distributing releases only from MediaConnect portal subscribers, but will open up the service in early 2009 to all Australian and New Zealand businesses and PR agencies as part of the company's 2009 expansion beyond the technology sector.


MediaConnect Australia CEO Phil Sim said the goal was to make PRWire.com.au, Australia's de-facto standard newswire service.

"No newswire has really established itself in Australia as a public-facing announcement service like PRNewswire, BusinessWire and PRWeb have in the US. We have high hopes of being able to leverage our traditional journalist-facing service to establish PRWire as the go-to destination for company announcements in Australia and New Zealand," Sim said.


PRWire.com.au can be accessed at http://www.prwire.com.au and questions and feedback regarding the service can be directed at prwire@mediaconnect.com.au or by calling MediaConnect on (02) 9894 6277.