iBeam and Engage Deliver Streaming Advertising for Broadband Internet Programming in Collaboration With Microsoft
Over 30 Content Providers Signed for iBEAM's On-Target
biz.yahoo.com
SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 12, 2000--iBEAM and Engage today announced the general availability of On-Target(tm), a new online advertising service that makes it possible for broadband Internet content providers to dynamically insert highly immersive, targeted video and audio ads into streamed content using Windows Media Format. The platform has been developed through close cooperation and collaboration among Microsoft's Digital Media Division, iBEAM and Engage. The On-Target platform offers broadband content companies high-value advertising opportunities for their streaming-media investments.
iBEAM's On-Target(tm) service intelligently inserts targeted streaming ads into content that is broadcast over the iBEAM Network. On-Target uses Engage's industry leading ad management software and anonymous user profiling services. iBEAM's ad-insertion capability is the first in a series of new applications to be built on the iBEAM Broadcast Platform, which is a collection of software components and APIs that allow for the rapid development of advanced applications such as streaming ad insertion.
iBEAM On-Target is currently operational and has served nearly five million ad streams in Windows Media Format stream since April. The first content providers to take advantage of the iBEAM Network(tm) and On-Target include:
MTVi
MSNBC.com
Salon.com
VidNet (NASD:OTCBB:EBLD)
Lottery.com
Streamsearch
Medium4.com, Inc.
ForeignTV.com
Medium4Music.com
Medium4Latino.com
Pixelworld.com
SurfingLive.com
MarriageLive.com
Ignite Sports Media
StreamExchange
FILMSPEED
Anyco Network, Inc.
CinemaNow
BreakTV.com
Kick Media's movieline.kmbb.com,
gravitygames.kmbb.com
AlwaysI.com
ReporterTV
ChoiceRadio
ShortTV
AdventureTV.com
Kanakaris Wireless' CinemaPOP.com,
WordPOP.com
OasisTV.com
Bogart Golf
Anteye.com
Raveworld.net
International Corporate Video, Inc.
Evil Ed's Video Game Action News
www.1800webcasts.com
iTV2001.com
iLOOKs.com
Advertising agencies utilizing the platform include Starcom IP, A Digital Division of Starcom Worldwide, FCB Worldwide and Exile on 7th.
Engage AdManager(tm), one of the most powerful ad management systems available for advanced media infrastructures, enables iBEAM's proprietary On-Target service to dynamically insert full-motion video and CD-quality audio ads into content streamed using Microsoft Windows Media(tm). For the first time, Web users can experience video and audio on the Web similar to the way they are experienced on TV and radio.
Moreover, by utilizing Engage AdManager, the iBEAM On-Target advertising platform enables content providers to deliver targeted streaming ads to their Internet viewers. AdManager's wide range of targeting criteria, which includes Engage Knowledge(tm), a database of anonymous online user profiles, allows marketers to identify and target their appropriate audiences. Viewers can be shown highly targeted advertisements based on geography, Internet surfing behavior or the type of content being viewed. The targeting system is designed to benefit content providers by allowing them to charge advertisers a premium to reach a valuable broadband audience using the Microsoft Windows Media Player. Advertisers benefit from having the ability to efficiently reach valuable broadband audiences with highly immersive, interactive, and targeted video and audio ads.
``We believe that iBEAM's high quality and low cost distribution network combined with Engage's ad management and media services provide our customers with the efficient delivery and revenue generation capabilities they need to make streaming media a viable business,'' said Peter Desnoes, President and CEO of iBEAM. ``We believe working with industry leaders like Engage and Microsoft will allow us to build a reliable and scalable advertising platform capable of supporting the explosive growth in demand for streaming services we are experiencing from major media and enterprise customers.''
``We are excited to be working with iBEAM. Their capacity, quality and innovative satellite distribution network position them as a leader in streamed content broadcasting,'' said David Isenberg, Vice President of Advanced Media and Data Development at Engage. ``By combining iBEAM's advanced streaming media distribution technology with our media services we look forward to making it possible for content providers to move their streaming media content from a cost center to profit center.''
``With On-Target, iBEAM and Engage are paving the way for robust streaming-media business models,'' said Dave Fester, general manager of marketing in Microsoft's Digital Media Division. ``Targeted ad-insertion is a great example of using streaming media technology using Windows Media to make advertising on the Internet more powerful and effective.''
Starcom IP is taking advantage of On-Target's unique capabilities to help launch Nintendo's new N64 video game, Perfect Dark. ``Until now, advertising on the Internet has lacked the ability to engage users as only TV advertising can,'' said Becky Bohannan, Manager, Starcom IP. ``On-Target allows us to deliver our message with the impact of broadcast TV to an audience on the Web.''
In addition to the insertion and delivery of targeted streaming ads, iBEAM and Engage will provide content providers and advertisers with a variety of value-added services including e-commerce opportunities, detailed end-user reporting including click-through tracking capabilities, and media sales services through Engage Media.
About iBEAM Broadcasting Corporation
iBEAM Broadcasting© Corporation (Nasdaq:IBEM - news), headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif., was founded by data communications, television, and telecommunications professionals in 1998. iBEAM provides an Internet broadcast network that delivers streaming media to large audiences with viewing and listening quality that approaches television and radio. iBEAM's customers include media, technology and entertainment companies. For more information about iBEAM's broadcasting services, visit ibeam.com, or contact the company at 645 Almanor Avenue, Suite 100, Sunnyvale, CA 94086, telephone 408-523/1600.
About Engage©
Engage, Inc. (Nasdaq:ENGA - news) is the leading provider of next generation online marketing solutions and a majority-owned operating company of CMGI, Inc. Based in Andover, Mass., Engage helps marketers target online audiences and convert them into loyal customers. Engage has European headquarters in London and offices worldwide. For more information on Engage, please visit www.engage.com.
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