OneRoom Redefines Funeral Streaming with Major Platform Upgrade

OneRoom launches a next-generation streaming experience, giving families a keepsake they will return to, and funeral homes a service they can charge for with confidence.

Houston, TX – December 2, 2025 – OneRoom has released a major upgrade to its funeral streaming platform, built around how people actually watch, revisit, and engage with online services today.
These features work together to deliver a more modern and impactful way to experience a service online:

• Chapters split the service into sections that follow the order of service, making it easy to jump to parts like tributes, readings, or reflections
• Key Moments provide short highlights from the most emotional or memorable parts of the service, making them easy to revisit
• Captions and Spanish translation for accessibility and silent viewing
• Subscription platform allows families and guests to self-manage access to the recording at any time in the future, retaining the full interactive experience

Together, these upgrades build on a trusted foundation and take the streaming experience to the next level.

“Streaming has earned its place as a core part of the funeral experience,” said Brady Cox, CEO of OneRoom. “This release gives homes a professional, polished service they can stand behind, and families a way to return to the people, words, and memories that meant the most.”

Give guests what they actually want

Guests rarely rewatch a full service, but they often come back for the moments that stayed with them. This update makes that simple. The new viewer turns a long video into a clear, navigable experience that’s easier to connect with, and easier to offer proudly.

“It’s not just about remote access,” said Justin Whatley, CRO. “You are selling families an experience that they will value the next day and in the future. This release unlocks that value, both emotionally and commercially.”

A new revenue stream, built in

When guests choose to extend their access, funeral homes receive a share of that revenue – no admin, no follow-up. It’s a hands-free way to continue serving and earning.

Built on trust. Leading what’s next.

This release marks a new benchmark in funeral streaming, bringing together navigation, accessibility, and revenue features that no other funeral streaming platform offers. It reflects how people now watch and engage with video, and positions funeral homes to deliver an experience that families will return to and value long after the service ends.

To see the new experience in action, watch the demo here.

About OneRoom

OneRoom is a hands-free funeral streaming platform trusted by funeral homes across North America. With zero-effort setup, automated scheduling and full guest support, it removes the burden of streaming from staff, while giving families a lasting keepsake they can return to and share.

Fortitude Research and Marketing Launches Guidant – the First Technology Platform to Enable Online Cemetery Property Sales

Patented platform goes live with Milestone Funeral Partners, marking a major step forward in the digital transformation of the deathcare profession

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., Oct. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Fortitude Research and Marketing today announced the launch of Guidant, a technology company pioneering digital commerce solutions for cemeteries and funeral homes. The patented platform enables families to purchase cemetery property and related services directly from cemeteries, completely online — a first for the deathcare profession.

While several companies have made it possible to arrange funerals and cremations online, Guidant is the first to bring direct cemetery property transactions — traditionally an offline, in-person process, requiring customers to meet with a sales professional — into a fully digital, secure, environment.

Guidant’s patented technology integrates interactive mapping, inventory management, and e-commerce functionality, allowing cemeteries to showcase available property, streamline purchasing, and enhance the consumer experience. According to industry research, thirty-five percent of consumers say they would purchase cemetery property online if they had the option.

“For too long, cemetery property sales have been one of the last major purchase categories still tied to a completely offline process,” said George Owens, Founder of Fortitude Research and Marketing which incubated Guidant. “Guidant changes that. Our platform brings the transparency, convenience, and accessibility that today’s consumers expect — while empowering cemetery operators to grow their business in a digital-first world.”

The company’s first live implementation launched at Brooklawn Memorial Park in Portland, Maine, a partner of Milestone Funeral Partners, a forward-thinking funeral, cemetery, and crematory company serving funeral homes and cemeteries across multiple states in the Northeast.

“We’re proud to be the first to bring Guidant’s technology to market,” said Mike Martel, President of Milestone Funeral Partners. “This platform makes it easier for families to make meaningful, informed decisions — and it gives our locations a new way to reach people where they are. Guidant represents the kind of innovation our profession has needed for years.”

Guidant’s technology is patented, with 11 additional partner locations currently in pre-launch. The company is now entering an active growth phase, seeking to add new locations to the platform as well as seedinvestment to accelerate deployment, expand its engineering team, and scale adoption across North America.

“This isn’t just a digital tool,” added Owens. “It’s the foundation for how the next generation of cemetery commerce will operate — built with respect for tradition, and the innovation needed for the future.”

About Guidant

Guidant is a technology company transforming the way cemeteries sell property and services. With a patented digital platform that enables families to browse, select, and purchase cemetery property online, Guidant empowers cemeteries to modernize their sales process and meet the expectations of today’s digital consumer.
Learn more at: OurGuidant.com

About Milestone Funeral Partners

Milestone Funeral Partners, led by experienced funeral directors Michael Martel and Timothy “TJ” Smart, focuses on supporting community-based Managing Partners and fostering entrepreneurship. With a dedication to people and local caregivers, the company ensures its businesses are led by the best caregivers in each community they serve.
Learn more at: Milestonefuneralpartners.com

Batesville Sells MIS Deathcare Management Solutions Platform  

Batesville, IN – October 15, 2025 – Batesville, a leading provider of burial, cremation, and  technology solutions in North America, announced the sale of its Management Information Systems (MIS) business to PlotBox. PlotBox is a cloud-native software platform for cemetery, crematory, and funeral home management, closely aligned with the capabilities  MIS has developed.  

Effective immediately, this move enables both companies to make strategic investments aligned with their respective areas of expertise. For Batesville, it paves the way for delivering more effective and innovative solutions, particularly designed to support funeral home customers and the families they serve. 

Batesville will continue to invest in technology that streamlines operations and enhances  the planning experience for families. This includes:  

• Halcyon Deathcare Management Software, acquired in 2024, a cloud-based deathcare management platform supporting funeral homes, crematories, pet cremation, and trade services 

• The Family Choices® Digital Showroom, providing families with a consistent, personalized experience that empowers them to make confident decisions and drives stronger product sales 

• The new Remembrance Store™, an E-commerce storefront launching at NFDA, that helps funeral homes meet families’ growing preference for online shopping while creating new revenue opportunities 

“Our focus is on providing funeral professionals with solutions that make their day-to-day  operations more efficient while supporting families through every step of the planning  process.” said Chris Trainor, Batesville CEO. “By driving innovation and personalization  across burial, cremation, and technology, we are equipping funeral professionals with  practical, future-ready tools that deliver greater value to our customers and help position  them for long-term success.”  

PlotBox and Batesville are working together to ensure a seamless transition for MIS  customers, with no disruption to service or support.  

To learn more about Batesville’s burial, cremation, and technology solutions, visit  www.Batesville.com or Halcyon by Batesville at www.halcyondcms.com. 

About Batesville Services LLC  

Batesville is a recognized leader in the deathcare industry in North America, offering a  comprehensive portfolio of burial and cremation products, memorialization options and  innovative technology solutions. For more than 140 years, Batesville has supported  licensed funeral professionals in helping families honor the lives of those they love.^® A  history of manufacturing excellence, product innovation, superior customer service, and  reliable delivery helped Batesville become – and remain – a trusted leader in the deathcare  industry. To learn more, please call 812.931.5084 or email Media.Inquiries@Batesville.com.

Tribute Technology and Chptr Launch Nation’s Largest Broadcast Memorial Platform Across U.S. TV Markets

Waunakee, Wis. — August 19, 2025 — Tribute Technology and Chptr have announced a major expansion of their successful Tribute Spotlights partnership, bringing modern video memorials and obituaries to more families and communities than ever before. Starting today, the nation’s largest broadcast memorial platform will deliver these dynamic tributes across TV stations and local news websites in markets nationwide, uniting the timeless act of remembrance with the powerful reach of local media.

Through expanded partnerships with leading broadcast groups — including Hearst, Sinclair Broadcast Group, Gray Television, Paramount, and others — funeral homes can now offer families professionally produced video death notices and tributes that air on local television and appear on station websites. 

Aired TV tributes are produced, distributed, and broadcast daily, with every tribute linking directly back to the funeral home’s website, driving valuable traffic, strengthening community connections, and extending the legacy of loved ones far beyond the service. A new integration with Tribute Technology websites allows funeral homes to send information for aired tributes with just a click of a button on their website admin panel, reducing duplicate entry.

Additionally, obituaries on the Tribute Technology website platform will soon automatically publish to the local television website and link back to the funeral home at no additional cost. This drives awareness among community members and increases traffic and SEO value for each obituary, which is a big step in helping funeral homes get ahead of obituary scrapers.  

Reaching Families and Communities at Scale

Over the next several months, the new digital companion features to the Tribute Spotlights broadcast memorial experience will roll out to hundreds of local news websites and will include obituaries automatically posted to the news site. This rollout provides a radically new way to ensure sustained visibility of memorials for families and consistent awareness for participating funeral homes.

“Obituaries are no longer just words on a page — they’re gateways to connection,” said Courtney Gould Miller, President of Commercial Markets at Tribute Technology. “Tribute Spotlights amplifies the memorial experience and empowers families to foster those vital relationships, reaching more people in the community, especially with loose ties. And with our exclusive feature of auto-publishing obits on TV news sites, families’ stories extend further than ever before.”

Built for Funeral Directors

Tribute Spotlights will be fully integrated in all Tribute Technology-powered funeral home websites, fitting seamlessly into existing workflows without requiring new systems or additional staff effort by partner funeral homes. Tribute’s extensive obituary syndication network powers the scale of this initiative, enabling Chptr to bring video memorials to hundreds of media markets nationwide and making the service immediately available to Tribute Technology’s network of more than 9,000 funeral homes.

“We’re helping funeral homes reestablish themselves as the center of remembrance in their communities, where stories are honored and shared far beyond the service itself,” said Rehan Choudhry, CEO of Chptr.

From Obituary to Community Connection

Tribute Spotlights, powered by Chptr, transforms traditional obituaries into compelling video death notices that broadcast on local television and appear prominently on station websites, ensuring every life story reaches the people who need to hear it. Beyond broadcast reach, Tribute Spotlights serves as a comprehensive memorial platform: automatically generating social-ready visuals for seamless family sharing, preserving memories through lasting digital tributes, and offering white-glove tribute video production that captures the essence of a life through personalized storytelling and professional filmmaking.

About Chptr

Chptr is a storytelling platform for the modern age, dedicated to preserving and sharing stories in ways that transcend traditional memorialization. By transforming memories into beautifully crafted narratives, Chptr helps families and communities honor the past, connect in the present, and ensure stories live on forever. Through broadcast video technology and immersive storytelling, Chptr bridges the gap between personal history and public remembrance. Learn more at www.chptr.com.

About Tribute Technology

Tribute Technology is dedicated to empowering funeral professionals with best-in-class technology solutions. Serving over 9,000 end-of-life providers worldwide, Tribute Technology’s innovative software and services — including website platforms, marketing solutions, management software, online planning, memorial keepsakes, and payment processing — help funeral professionals save time and focus on supporting families. To learn more, visit: https://www.tributetech.com/tribute-spotlights.

Passare launches new AI Assistant within its platform

ABILENE, TX – July 31, 2025 – Passare is excited to announce the release of its new AI Assistant, a groundbreaking feature built right into the platform, designed to recommend customized service options based on existing case details. The tool was trained and developed using Dr. Alan Wolfelt’s principles
on grieving to ensure every suggestion is healing and meaningful.

“When a funeral director needs creative ideas for a service, they might use a tool like ChatGPT or Copilot, which means they’re unintentionally sharing private case information,” said Josh McQueen, Vice President of Marketing & Product at Passare. “Beyond the security risks, the suggestions from these tools don’t always promote the value of a personalized funeral. AI Assistant actually encourages healing tributes.”

AI Assistant works by instantly sharing tailored recommendations based on case details, allowing funeral directors to help the family plan a unique service. Users can also choose from one of the provided prompts to start a conversation with the AI Assistant and save responses to their notes.

“Ultimately, our goal with AI Assistant is to help funeral directors save time during the planning phase, especially during a creative block,” McQueen added. “But we also want to encourage more families to personalize services in ways that truly honor their loved ones. We believe AI Assistant will help funeral directors accomplish that goal.”

Read this article to learn more about AI assistant. To see more of what Passare has to offer, book a demo.

ABOUT PASSARE:
Passare is award-winning, SOC 2 compliant funeral home software with tools to help you manage your business and connect with families online. With access to cases 24/7, you can get more done. Plus, save time with dozens of integrations, get unprecedented visibility into your business with outstanding reporting, and enjoy the support you need to succeed every step of the way. Ready to see all that Passare has to offer? Get a demo at www.passare.com/request-a-demo.

Australian Video and Stationery Platform Eulogize Commits to Long-Term U.S. Vision

Sydney, NSW – The founders of Eulogize Memorials, an all-in-one cloud-based platform that helps funeral teams and families create one-of-a-kind, personalized print and digital tributes with ease, have committed to a long-term vision of innovation and implementation in the U.S. after an incredibly successful 2024 launch and convention run.

Following an immensely successful initial launch of a direct-to-family platform in the Australian market in 2019, Eulogize co-founders Ben Sutton and Nick Kelly worked alongside several funeral directors to create a professional version of the platform to meet the specific needs of funeral service providers. 

They introduced Eulogize to the U.S. deathcare community in April 2024 at the International Cemetery, Cremation, and Funeral Association (ICCFA) Convention & Expo in Tampa, Florida.

“There is a lot of overlap between the U.S. and Australia, but it is always a risk taking your business to a new country. We decided to come over for one convention first and see what the local reaction was,” explains Eulogize co-founder Ben Sutton. “It was better than we could have hoped for.”

The overwhelming success at this event encouraged Kelly and Sutton to commit to sharing Eulogize with as many U.S. deathcare professionals as possible by participating in the Cremation Association of North America (CANA) Convention in Chicago, the New Jersey Funeral Directors Association (NJFDA) Convention in Atlantic City, and the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) International Convention & Expo in New Orleans. 

In just over 10 months, this targeted focus has resulted in Eulogize securing active professional users in 13 states, including traditional funeral homes, direct cremation businesses, and even memorial parks. Additionally, Eulogize is now fully integrated with three leading deathcare case management platforms, with more partnerships and integrations in the pipeline.

“It’s our ability to customize Eulogize to suit each business’s needs that appears to be really connecting with American funeral professionals,” Kelly explains. “Some people are looking for a self-service option; others want a more integrated video solution or modern print platform that doesn’t require storing expensive paper inventories; we can offer a tailored solution for everyone”.  

Deathcare professionals will have the opportunity to meet Kelly and Sutton and get a first-hand look at the game-changing Eulogize platform at the Oklahoma Funeral Directors Association state conference in Norman on April 6-8, in Las Vegas at the ICCFA Experience on May 1-3 and at the Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska Tri-State Expo in Kansas City May 4-7. 

About Eulogize Memorials

Eulogize Memorials is an all-in-one, cloud-based platform that simplifies stationery and video tribute creation for funeral professionals. With a focus on quality and personalization, Eulogize has a suite of unique features, including the option for families to engage in the online creation of their loved ones’ memorials. Eulogize is a game-changing, time-saving, revenue-producing solution for the deathcare community.

Media Contact: Nick Kelly
Nick@eulogizememorials.com

Changing Perceptions: Overcoming Legacy.com Myths and Embracing the Modern Platform

For years, Legacy.com sat at the center of intense discussions among funeral directors. Some professionals praised its large audience and robust obituary tools, while others questioned whether the platform diverted traffic and flower sales away from local funeral homes. As technology and consumer expectations evolve, Legacy.com has revamped its offerings—particularly through Legacy Pro Business—to serve as a supportive partner rather than a competitor.

Below, we’ll debunk the most common misconceptions about Legacy.com and highlight how the new, modern approach benefits funeral homes, families, and communities alike.

1. Myth: Legacy.com Steals Funeral Home Web Traffic

The Concern: Families would land on Legacy.com to read an obituary, spend their time browsing guest books or memorial pages, and never visit the funeral home’s official site. This meant lost engagement, fewer opportunities to educate families on services, and less exposure to brand values.

The Reality: Legacy Pro Business’ updated model ensures that each obituary effectively funnels traffic back to the funeral home’s website.

• Premium Business Listings connect directly to your online home. Visitors see multiple backlinks pointing to your site—links to read the full obituary, send flowers, or learn more about your services.
• SEO Advantages arise from Legacy.com’s high domain authority, helping funeral home websites rank higher in local searches. Every click from Legacy.com to your site boosts organic visibility and brand recognition.

The end result is a win-win: You retain your rightful website traffic while benefiting from Legacy.com’s vast online audience.

2. Myth: Legacy.com Poaches Flower Orders and Profits

The Concern: Legacy.com’s advertising for sympathy flowers supposedly undercut local florist arrangements that funeral homes might otherwise sell directly to families.

The Reality: Today, Legacy Pro Business allows you to integrate your own florist of choice, ensuring families order from a trusted, community-based vendor. No more third-party redirection that excludes the funeral home’s preferred florist.

• Local Florist Promotion: Whether you have a partnership with one florist or multiple, you decide which shops display on the obituary’s flower-ordering platform.
• Revenue-Sharing Options: For homes that rely on direct floral commissions, Legacy Pro Business offers offers competitive revenue share. This means every transaction can help support your local business—and keeps you in control of the floral experience.

By removing the barrier that previously diverted flower sales, Legacy Pro Business hands control back to funeral homes and protects an important part of your revenue stream.

3. Myth: Automatic “Death Notices” Confuse Families

The Concern: Legacy.com used to auto-generate short death notices even if the funeral home or family hadn’t submitted an obituary. This sometimes created confusion or led to families contacting the funeral director about inaccurate or incomplete listings.

The Reality: Legacy Pro Business has eliminated the automatic posting of partial, unauthorized notices. Now, only funeral homes that opt into the Legacy network have their obituaries displayed, ensuring accurate and timely information.

• Direct Control: You decide which obituaries go live and when. If you update a service time or correct a detail, that change syncs across the Legacy network.
• Community Pages: These local or topic-based hubs (e.g., “Boston Remembers,” “Northwestern Alumni”) show the funeral home’s listing front and center, with no confusion about who is providing the service details.

This shift has helped build trust among funeral directors and families alike, reducing frustration and ensuring a consistent presentation of each person’s life story.

4. Transparency and Monthly Performance Reports

A huge part of Legacy Pro Business’s redesign involves transparency: funeral homes receive detailed reports each month that highlight how many visitors clicked from Legacy.com to their sites, how many entered the guest book, sent flowers, or interacted with other online features.

• Data-Driven Decisions: Armed with this performance data, you can make informed marketing moves—like adjusting your social media strategy or reevaluating how you highlight flowers and memorial gifts.
• Monitoring Competitors: Some plans include “obit data” to keep an eye on your market. Compare call volumes and obituary postings against others in your region, no more manually combing through newspapers or websites.

With Legacy Pro Business, there’s no secret ledger. You see, in black-and-white numbers, the exact value of your partnership every month.

5. A Risk-Free Way to Test the Waters

Still on the fence? Legacy Pro Business offers both a free version and a paid version, so you can see how their platform complements your existing online presence.

• Free Model: Display your obituaries on Legacy.com so families can easily find service information. You’ll gain basic referral traffic and brand visibility at zero cost.
• Paid Upgrades: Access additional benefits like advanced performance reports, local florist integration, competitor data, and extensive backlinking. This leads to a bigger online footprint and stronger connections with families.

Many funeral homes discover that once they try Legacy Pro Business, the traffic boost and streamlined obituary control make the paid features well worth the investment. If it doesn’t align with your strategy, you can always cancel without lingering contractual obligations.

6. Embracing the New Legacy

Change can be daunting, but in the rapidly evolving digital landscape, a streamlined, partnership-driven obituary platform is a valuable ally. Legacy Pro Business’s modern features empower funeral professionals to:

• Retain and even grow website traffic.
• Protect and enhance local flower sales.
• Control how and when obituaries appear online.
• Access transparent metrics on a monthly basis.
• Build deeper connections with community members who might otherwise miss important service details.

At the end of the day, this evolution from “Old Legacy” to “New Legacy” means one thing: funeral homes have more control and more opportunities to support grieving families in a transparent, community-focused way.

Conclusion

Longstanding myths often overshadow new innovations. With Legacy Pro Business, funeral directors can now see—tangibly and numerically—how a modern obituary platform drives traffic, fosters stronger community ties, and preserves valuable revenue opportunities. If you’ve been hesitant because of past experiences or rumors, consider taking advantage of the free version or scheduling a demo to see the changes for yourself. You may just find that Legacy Pro Business is the supportive digital partner your funeral home has been seeking all along.

Can Your Funeral Stationery Platform Do This? Eulogize Just Made Personalization Even Easier. 

If you’ve seen the Eulogize stationery and video platform in action, you might think the guys behind it would be well pleased with their product. After all, it’s been less than a year since Australian co-founders Ben Sutton & Nick Kelly introduced Eulogize Memorials to the United States, and already, deathcare professionals in 13 states have used it to engage families and create stunning, personalized memorials. Despite this success, however, Kelly and Sutton won’t be satisfied until they’ve reached one goal.

“We’re constantly working to make the platform so intuitive that it’s almost impossible to make something look bad, the goal is to help anyone, no matter their tech experience, end up with something they’re proud to share ”says Kelly.  “This is still the North Star and the rule we apply to all new features, products, and options.”

Easier Than Ever

While this commitment to continuous improvement is impressive, you have to wonder what else the Eulogize team could possibly do to make their intuitive platform even easier to use. Well, if “hold my beer” means the same thing in Australia as it does here in the U.S., imagine Kelly and Sutton saying that as you read this partial list of recent Eulogize updates:

• Multiple AI-powered image editing tools, including instant photo enhancing and background removal,
• The ability to embed Eulogize tributes into any online obituary or funeral home website as a digital flipbook, with optional integration of a button leading to your sympathy store,
• Printing & Delivery available nationally on a range of premium paper options, and
• More and more optimization & customization features being implemented on a regular basis.

“Because Eulogize only does online tribute creation, 100% of our focus and improvements go towards making that experience better for our users” explains Sutton. “We have a long list of new features we can’t wait to keep rolling out”.

These enhancements complement the impressive features that set apart Eulogize from its competitors from the get-go, including:

You CAN do this

It’s highly likely that most deathcare professionals don’t hold degrees in graphic design or computer programming. Luckily, you don’t need either of these skills to create truly beautiful funeral programs, bookmarks, service cards, thank-you cards, and tribute videos in a matter of minutes. In fact, the idea to create a more approachable, easy-to-use memorial platform came to Ben Sutton after his mom struggled with the process of creating tributes for his grandmother’s funeral service.

“We always joke that we beta-test every new product with our moms,” Sutton told Connecting Directors last year, “but it’s really not a joke. If they can’t use it the first time, we rebuild it.”

Eulogize is now fully integrated within three leading case management platforms, and the team is working to launch several new integrations throughout 2025. In addition to shaving time off of the design process, these integrations also reduce the potential for errors in the final product.

Personalize your platform

Getting started with the all-in-one Eulogize platform is risk free, with no setup fees and a highly personalized onboarding experience. You and your team can decide which features and themes you’d like to use in addition to the level of collaboration and access you’d like to offer the families you serve.

While a picture is worth a thousand words, seeing Eulogize in action is worth a million. Nick Kelly and Ben Sutton are taking their show on the road this year to share the platform with as many funeral professionals as possible. You’ll find them at the Oklahoma Funeral Directors Association state conference in Norman on April 6-8, in Las Vegas at the ICCFA Experience on May 1-3 and at the Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska Tri-State Expo in Kansas City May 4-7. 

And of course, one of the easiest ways to learn more about Eulogize is to book a complimentary demo with the team or reach out via the Eulogize website.

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