eeWeibo microblogging app breaks ground in mainland China's electronics industry

HONG KONG, September 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Sources' (NASDAQ: GSOL) joint venture subsidiary, eMedia Asia Limited, introduces a pioneering social networking app that filters millions of Sina Weibo posts to deliver relevant and real-time mobile content to mainland China's electronics industry professionals. Opening weeks of eeWeibo's launch sees over 10,000 mainland Chinese engineers become active users.

eMedia Asia Limited, Asia and mainland China's leading electronics media provider, in partnership with EEBoChina, today announces the release of eeWeibo -- the first microblogging app designed specifically for mainland China's electronics industry professionals using Sina Weibo.

As the latest addition to eMedia Asia's extensive media portfolio, eeWeibo leverages the group's comprehensive electronics expertise, editorial capabilities and expansive community to deliver a groundbreaking app that answers electronics professionals' demand for an electronics industry-specific social networking channel in mainland China.

eeWeibo ensures the timeliness and quality of the information coming through the app by applying a powerful real-time algorithm to filter through Sina Weibo, mainland China's popular microblogging service, and pick up only relevant electronics-related posts for broadcasting. A dedicated team of analysts works in tandem to improve the quality and accuracy of post selection before final delivery.

eeWeibo gives mainland China's electronics professionals the ability to socially and professionally engage with each other, post and respond to comments, and share other valuable content in a network solely dedicated to the electronics industry. Within the first weeks of launch, the app is already being actively used by over 10,000 engineers in mainland China.

Addressing prevailing trends in mainland China

Brandon Smith, President of eMedia Asia Limited, said: "We are acknowledging two important trends with the launch of this new product. First is the increasing proliferation and use of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets within the mainland China engineering industry. Second is the Weibo phenomenon, which mainland China's electronics professionals are using to message, connect with their peers and stay informed in the fastest possible way.

"What we are doing now is to eliminate the noise from millions of irrelevant Sina Weibo posts, focusing on content and providing it immediately to mainland Chinese engineers wherever they are," Smith added.

Smith further added, "This is the latest addition to our existing portfolio that further enhances our ability to inform and connect our expansive community."

Customized for the electronics industry

Users can customize the eeWeibo content to their specific needs, selecting from pre-set content channels: 'Editor's Recommendation', 'Portable Devices', 'Consumer Electronics', 'Telecommunication & Security Electronics', 'Industry & Medical Electronics', and 'Automobile Electronics'.

To provide a seamless mobile microblogging experience, eeWeibo is also offering other user-friendly features:

• Each story is presented in a 140-Chinese-character digest
• Image auto-zoom function for graphs, picture and tables
• Instant preview of URL links
• Automatic mobile optimization of web content so downloads are near instantaneous
• A highly intuitive gesture control and user-interface design to simplify app navigation, and to optimize the space to present content
• Easy-sharing and read-it-later functions

The eeWeibo app is free to download now. For iTunes Store click http://itunes.apple.com/cn/app/dian-zi-quan-wei-bao/id530404099?mt=8, or for the Android Market, download at all major Android App Markets in mainland China or visit http://www.eebochina.com.

About Global Sources

Global Sources is a leading business-to-business media company and a primary facilitator of trade with Greater China.

The core business facilitates trade between Asia and the world using English-language media such as online marketplaces (http://www.globalsources.com), print and digital magazines, sourcing research reports, private sourcing events, trade shows, and online sourcing fairs.

Over 1.18 million international buyers, including 90 of the world's top 100 retailers, use these services to obtain product and company information to help them source more profitably from overseas supply markets. These services also provide suppliers with integrated marketing solutions to build corporate image, generate sales leads and win orders from buyers in more than 240 countries and territories.

Global Sources' other businesses provides Chinese-language media to companies selling to and within Greater China. These services include online web sites, print and digital magazines, seminars and trade shows. In mainland China, Global Sources has a network of more than 30 office locations and a community of over 4 million registered online users and magazine readers of its Chinese-language media.

Now in its fifth decade, Global Sources has been publicly listed on the NASDAQ since 2000.

About eMedia Asia Limited

eMedia Asia Limited is a joint venture between Global Sources (60.1%) and United Business Media's EETimes Group (39.9%).

eMedia Asia provides 500,000-plus technology decision-makers throughout Asia and China with access to a multichannel media network. Through its technical events, publications and online network, eMedia Asia leads in providing the region's electronics community with the business and technical information they need to remain competitive.