eHarmony's Algorithm of Love

http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/09/23/the-algorithm-of-love/

eHarmony is an online match-making service, that has been around for 10 years. They have recently joined business to use predictive software. Their technology chief, Joseph Essas, who was a former employee of Yahoo!, stated that they have developed their own computer algorithms to enhance the love connections. Before the newer technology was utilized, eHarmony only took into account a few dozen attributes per each user. Now, with the more complex technology that they have started using, they have begun to take into account hundreds of different characteristics and traits about each user in order to match them up with a love connection. They analyze other things besides characteristics about users, such as how long they spend on the site, which could tell them how interested they are or how long they take to respond to an email which could show whether or not they are interested in a match. They take into account geographical terms and how willing people are to travel to meet someone when presenting them with matches.

I think that using this technology will enhance the amount of love connections that are made within eHarmony. Therefore, this will increase their revenue and more people will be satisfied with the company. By trying harder to create better matches rather than ones based on just a few things, they will now be made based on hundreds of attributes, making the success rate of a potential relationship much higher. Despite there being several other match-making sites, eHarmony has made its mark in the industry. By creating their own computer algorithms, it enables them to help their users to the fullest extent and improve the chances of them finding a perfect match.

The company, who has an estimated $250 million in annual revenue, reported that they have seen a 10% increase in users communicating with their matches. This increase is due to the change in technology the company began using. The usage of the newer technology and improvement to the analyses of each user, has improved their sales and have helped people find better matches and ones that they are more likely to actually meet in person. This is a way of using IT because they are utilizing the newer technology that they have and are creating new steps within the process of finding love for a person. Recently, they have doubled the size of their technology team and have made technology innovation and top priority and investment to the company. Their efforts towards technology have paid off not only for them, but also for their users who have been more likely to find a match that they will actually meet in person and possibly go on to have a relationship with. I believe that companies such as eHarmony will just continue to grow in the future due to it's convenient and practical features for people in search of a relationship.