Product Review Aggregator alaTest Gets Red Herring Global 100 Award

    alaTest logoalaTest is a web service providing free and independent aggregated product quality information. It aims to simplify the purchase decision offering aggregated professional reviews, product specifications, and a standard quality rating along with the lowest available price in the same location. alaTest has just won the Red Herring Top Global 100 award, and was also selected to the 2008 Top 100 Europe list.

    alaTest screenshotalaTest aggregates reviews from 1000+ international review sites, like Consumer Reports, CNET.com, and PC World. The alaTest database is said to currently hold over 4.9 million reviews, while the websites in 15 countries collected 3.6 million visitors in December. alaTest uses a global, objectively aggregated product quality rating it calls the alaScore™ to unify the test criteria and rating scales between test sources. The score enables easier cross-service product comparison for consumers.

    alaTest’s service is free for the end consumers, but makes money by offering different services to manufacturers, publishers, and advertisers. Manufacturers can get global media scanning services to keep informed about how and where their products have been tested and rated. Product manufactures can also market product updates to highly targeted consumers via the alaTest portal news and newsletter. Publishers can get a broader audience for their reviews thru the service. For advertisers alaTest offers reachable specific target consumers.

    During last year, alaTest became profitable and secured a new round of financing.  It also expanded the client base to companies like Kelkoo, Shopzilla, Neckermann, Sony Ericsson, and Intel.