Passenger Launches DIY Community Option

US-based social community software provider Passenger has set up a Channel Partner Program to enable marketing and market research agencies to use its technology to create their own social media tools for gathering real-time consumer insight.

Passenger combines community, collaboration and analytics technologies into a single platform, delivered via Software-as-a-Service.

In 2008, the firm secured $8m in new funding to fuel international expansion, and last year it launched a self-service version of its software to allow agencies to create their own communities.

Through the newly launched Partner Program, participating agencies will be able to choose to build and run online communities on their own, or to utilize Passenger's Engagement, Insights and Moderation teams.

The firm says its partners are already using the software to develop and test social media campaigns, and help brands better inform their product and marketing creative process.

To drive this initiative, Passenger has appointed Mitch Gordon as Vice President, Channel Partnerships, and JJ Cramer as Senior Director, Channel Partnerships.

'We are thrilled to bring Mitch and JJ on to lead this charge,' stated CEO Steve Howe. 'Leveraging private communities is emerging as a key component of brands' social media strategies, and also as a valuable research tool for deriving real-time insight into consumer behavior and sentiment.'

Web site: www.thinkpassenger.com .