by Leilani Rose, Geektime
Many of us may wonder about our ancestry, but for those of
who wish to delve into their family’s past; into their heritage, it’s
not always as easy as one might like. There are plenty of methods out
there for researching genealogy and family history, but they can be
overwhelming, unfruitful, or sometimes downright frustrating.
MyHeritage aims to change all of that—to make
genealogy more mainstream—by introducing a user-friendly, interactive, and fun
method for researching your genealogy, called Instant Discoveries™.
Ideal for first time users who know a little bit about their
family history, MyHeritage starts out through the signup process by asking very
basic questions about 7 family members: The user, their parents and
grandparents. Seconds later, with the magic of Instant Discoveries™, the user
is presented with detailed information, records, and photographs of their
relatives.
“We’re very excited about Instant Discoveries™”, said Gilad
Japhet, Founder and CEO of MyHeritage. “Indulging first-time users with
immediate information about their family fulfills our vision to make family
history accessible and enjoyable to the mass market. We are firmly committed to
creating disruptive technologies that reinvent the way people explore their
family history.”
A moment in time, to go back in time
To demonstrate its mainstream appeal, MyHeritage set up
interactive Instant Discoveries™ spots in busy locations throughout New
York City, such as Time Square and Grand Central Station. The small hubs caught
users attentions and allowed them to instantly discover information about
their ancestry. Users who made discoveries with MyHeritage had exciting, and
even emotional experiences.
MyHeritage uses powerful research technology to fuel their
findings. Though the success rate of Instant Discoveries™ depends on several
factors, such as countries of origin and the level of detail of initial
information entered, in some countries it has been as high at 35%. MyHeritage
estimates that this rate will continue to rise, as they have approximately 1
million new family tree profiles and 5 million historical records added every
day. The company saw rapid growth as of late, which they accommodated
by opening a new branch at WeWork’s Tel Aviv offices.
“Millions of people want to better understand themselves and
their roots, and we’re committed to making that a magical and easy process,”
said Mike Mallin, Chief Product Officer at MyHeritage. “Until now, family
exploration has been burdensome and time consuming. Through our new Instant
Discoveries ™, users can meet the generations who came before them within
moments of signing up.”
To see some of the reactions from first time users who tried
Instant Discoveries™ check out the video below. To experience MyHeritage
and Instant Discoveries™ for yourself, go to www.myheritage.com and
sign up for free.