Here are some more new companies that presented products and services at FGS-RootsTech 2015. I understand there were 170 vendors, up from 120 vendors last year. This is not a comprehensive list. but just some of the ones that caught my eye or approached me!
Exhibit Hall from Second Floor
As with yesterday’s disclaimer, I am not receiving any type of compensation from any of these companies and I am not recommending any of them. This is simply information for your review and further details can be gleaned through the live links to their websites.
1. MY FAMILY ON LINE is advertised as a full service genealogy company that offers scanning and digitizing, family websites, translations, research and photo restoration, among other services. This is a fee-based company that offered a discount at RootsTech. I don’t know if the same offer is being made through their website.
2. Forever.com and Panstoria – Forever.com is a cloud storage company that purchased Panstoria, a photo organizing scrapbook software company. Together they offer a “permanent digital home” and way to tell your stories and share them with family. A sales rep told me that there was a one-time subscription fee that covered both, but the websites show monthly rates, too.
These next three happen to offer very similar services:
3. RootsBid presents its service in easy to understand terms: “You just request help, check your bids, and hire your preferred bidder.” This is a simplified version of an auction site. Say you want a copy of a marriage record somewhere and the county clerk has a policy that someone needs to come in person to obtain it. You then list your job, state your budget and choose from the bidders who offer to obtain the record for you. It is free to sign up either as a bidder or jobber.
4. ancestorcloud “is a global marketplace of passionate researcher that work together to solve their research problems.” As with the previous site, jobs are posted and bids placed. Job payment can either be in real money or used for your own help requests. It is also free to sign up.
5. GenMarketplace is “the market that makes getting family history help easy.” Again, creating an account is free. You may post jobs or bid to accept a job. The website has a short video explaining the company, which launched on 11 February 2015 and was also a RootsTech Innovator Summit finalist.
6. Legacyshare “is a social platform to capture the important stories in your life.” The brochure says that it is a simple-to-use product that utilizes a book-like interface to share your family history. Built into the platform is a map feature, timeline, digital library for images and a way to connect and share stories. Signing up for an account is free; I didn’t see any information about further pricing.
The other two finalists in the Innovator Summit challenge were booths that I somehow missed while meandering through the football field-sized hall.
7. ArgusSearch says it is a company that “protects your future by investigating their past.” Their entry in the Innovator Summit was a search engine technology that is a handwriting recognition program. Written documents on line can be searched for specific requested information. This is a fee based service company.
The winner of the challenge was:
8. StoryWorth, which helps families share stories. A question about one’s life is emailed once a week. Stories are saved on a private site that can be accessed by other family members. The basic monthly fee allows six storytellers (perhaps four grandparents and two parents or any other combination one wishes), but permits unlimited story recipients.
Randy Seaver had a great post on the four finalists on Genea-Musings last week.
I hope this gave you a flavor of the up and coming companies and what they are offering the genealogy community. I purposely did not include pricing, even if I could find it. If one or more of these companies sounds interesting to you, click the link and visit their websites.
