Interesting SEAC and WINK news:
ALAMEDA, Calif. and MAYNARD, Mass., Nov. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Local cable television advertising, a $2
billion business in the U.S., will soon deliver interactive purchasing power to television viewers. Today, two
leaders in television advertising technology, Wink Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: WINK) and SeaChange
International, Inc. (Nasdaq: SEAC), announced an agreement that will enable cable operators to deliver
highly-targeted local TV advertisements enhanced by Wink's interactive and e-commerce features.
(Photo:http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19991103/WINKLOGO )
"Local cable is one of the most powerful and cost-effective means for advertisers to reach well-defined groups of
consumers. SeaChange's ability to insert highly-targeted ads into local cable systems, combined with Wink
interactivity, greatly increases local cable's value by creating a direct-response situation," said James Kelso, vice
president of advertising systems, SeaChange International. "Using SeaChange's equipment, cable operators can
place an ad for a local sporting goods shop on a sports network, for example. With Wink enhancement, cable
viewers can immediately buy that retailer's products or request further information. So now impulse purchasing
and lead-generation become significant advantages of advertising on local cable."
"Wink and SeaChange technologies will enable cable systems to offer a unique and powerful sales and marketing
tool to local advertisers. Utilizing Wink's on-screen, interactive and e-commerce on TV features, a local advertiser
can generate specific leads, offer discount coupons and create instant purchase opportunities never before seen at
the local level. This will give any local advertising sales team a distinct product offering within the market and
create new revenue opportunities for the cable system," said Maggie Wilderotter, president and CEO, Wink
Communications, Inc.
As a result of the agreement, Wink and SeaChange will enable the SeaChange Spot digital ad insertion system to
integrate with Wink's Broadcast Server and Automation Server systems.
An interface will automatically trigger the synchronized playback of interactive Wink-enhanced commercials on a
playlist provided to the Spot system. Wink-enhanced local advertisements will use on-screen interactive features
that allow viewers, with the simple click of their remote control, to instantly request coupons and free product
samples, enter contests and purchase products from merchants.
SeaChange Spot Systems are deployed in hundreds of cable TV headends and deliver more than two million
high-quality MPEG-2-encoded commercials each day. Wink-enhancements can be delivered on any cable system
using analog or digital set top boxes. Wink currently serves enhanced national television ads to viewers in
California, Connecticut, Illinois, Missouri, New York and Tennessee.
About the Technologies
Television operators worldwide have transitioned from video tape players, which require intensive manual labor
and maintenance, to the SeaChange Spot digital ad insertion system to streamline advertising operations,
dramatically improve the video and audio quality of inserted ads, and greatly increase the volume of ad placements
in local cable operations. The Spot System employs SeaChange's advanced video servers, software and data
networking to automatically manage complex, geographically-specified ad and program schedules across multiple channels. |
