RE: targeted advertising. Check out the news on ACTV (IATV) and read about Digital ADCO. MOT, OPTV, and ACTV have a partnership that will do the targeted advertising using ACTV's SpotOn technology. ACTV is entering into more and more partnerships/agreements with companies that previously appeared potential competitors. I would view this as serious indication that their patents are important and defensible.
Here is one article: biz.yahoo.com
Wednesday May 24, 7:06 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
OpenTV Joins ACTV and Motorola to Expand Worldwide Venture for Interactive Digital TV Advertising
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. and NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 24, 2000--
Trio of Leaders in Interactive Television to Establish New
International Division of ACTV's Digital ADCO Subsidiary
New Venture Expected to Bring Benefits of Highly Targeted TV
Advertising to Consumers, Advertisers, and Television Network
Operators Worldwide
ACTV, Inc. (Nasdaq: IATV - news) and OpenTV (Nasdaq and AEX: OPTV) announced today that ACTV's Digital ADCO subsidiary and OpenTV have signed a letter of intent to join forces for the worldwide deployment of Digital ADCO's SpotOn(TM) service. Digital ADCO's SpotOn is a comprehensive, software-based end-to-end solution for the delivery and accounting of highly targeted interactive advertising via digital cable, satellite, and broadcast television. The venture is expected to bring SpotOn's ``One to One Television Advertising''(TM) to consumers worldwide.
OpenTV, ACTV, and Motorola Broadband Communications Sector (NYSE: MOT - news) intend to create a new subsidiary named Digital ADCO International. According to the letter of intent, OpenTV will invest in Digital ADCO, Inc. and assist in porting ACTV's ``Individualized TV'' software application onto OpenTV's operating system, which has an installed base of more than 7.8 million digital set-top boxes worldwide.
ACTV created its Digital ADCO subsidiary in late 1999 with Motorola Broadband Communications Sector to redefine and revolutionize traditional TV advertising. SpotOn is founded on an array of system technologies, including ACTV's ``Individualized TV'' software and Motorola's digital interactive platform.
The new international alliance will bring together the powerful technologies and extensive experience of three leaders in interactive digital television (ITV), and will dramatically improve advertising effectiveness on digital TV platforms worldwide. The SpotOn service allows viewers to choose and interact with television commercials; it empowers advertisers to deliver commercials to households most likely to respond to them (based on demographic or household specific-profiles); and it allows television network operators to generate new t-commerce (television commerce) revenues.
Like ACTV and Motorola, OpenTV plans to license certain system technologies to Digital ADCO that will enhance SpotOn's functionality. For example, OpenTV would enable Digital ADCO to provide a comprehensive fulfillment system for SpotOn t-commerce applications by integrating its headend (back office) architecture with SpotOn's client/server software. SpotOn's t-commerce applications will allow operators to process viewer inputs and ensure the fulfillment of information, goods, and services ordered through a consumer's digital set-top box.
``As the momentum of interactive television accelerates, so does OpenTV's role as a pioneering force in ITV software, having been selected by operators in more than 50 countries,'' said Jan Steenkamp, OpenTV's president and CEO. ``We recognize ADCO's 'SpotOn' advertising service as an important product to help us deliver a whole new television experience -- for viewers who will receive advertisements that address their individual demands, for advertisers who will better be able to measure accuracy and effectiveness of commercials, and for television network operators worldwide seeking to generate t-commerce revenues through interactive television.''
``We are excited to see the expansion of Digital ADCO with the addition of OpenTV and the formation of Digital ADCO International,'' noted Richard Smith, Corporate Vice President & Director, Business Development of the Motorola Broadband Communications Sector. ``By leveraging the assets held by Motorola, OpenTV, and ACTV, television advertisers can target commercials for their products and services to the appropriate consumer audiences, providing unmatched value and accountability for their media dollars. At the same time, Digital ADCO improves the consumer experience by cutting through the clutter of television advertising to deliver commercials that make sense for viewers based on individual household preferences.''
William C. Samuels, Chairman and CEO of ACTV, Inc., commented, ``Working with a proven leader such as OpenTV brings innumerable benefits to our company, our products, and our shareholders. Our goal has always been to get our technologies to market as efficiently as possible. Forming strategic partnerships, like this one, will help to accelerate the introduction of SpotOn to millions of people throughout the world. We believe this relationship creates broad opportunities for the future of digital interactive TV in general that may go beyond the realm of advertising.''
SPOTON(TM) -- ONE TO ONE TELEVISION ADVERTISING(TM)
Digital ADCO's SpotOn service offers advertisers pinpoint accuracy and maximum effectiveness when delivering commercials, based on the general demographic profile of a region or on the specific profile of an individual household, which is generated by ACTV's ``Individualized TV'' software within the digital set-top box in the home. In addition, SpotOn offers TV commerce opportunities, such as couponing and permission based marketing initiatives.
Features of SpotOn include:
allowing advertisers to target messages to each addressable
digital set-top terminal;
enabling viewers to choose television spots of interest to
them;
provisions for system-wide and local advertising insertion
into digital cable channels;
giving advertisers individualized tagging capability for each
digital set-top;
enabling true accountability of when a spot was shown in each
home;
empowering customers to receive additional information (video,
audio and/or data) on products during or after commercials;
and
airing spots in the appropriate language for specific homes.
SpotOn services will be provided to MSOs, cable and satellite system providers, advertising interconnects, broadcast and cable television networks and programmers, and leading consumer product advertisers, advertising agencies, and media buyers.
ABOUT OPENTV
OpenTV is the leading worldwide provider of software that enables digital interactive television (ITV), providing a complete end-to-end solution for the development and delivery of interactive services via digital satellite, cable and terrestrial broadcast. OpenTV set-top box software has been shipped with or installed in more than 7.8 million digital set-top boxes worldwide.
OpenTV software solutions have been selected by 28 television network operators in over 50 countries, including: British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) in the United Kingdom; TPS and Cable Lyonnaise in France; PrimaCom in Germany; Via Digital in Spain; Galaxy Latin America, the exclusive provider of DirecTV(TM) in Latin America; and EchoStar's DISH Network(TM) in the U.S.
The OpenTV set-top box software is licensed to 29 digital set-top box manufacturers, and OpenTV's authoring tools are licensed to hundreds of independent developer and content and service providers. OpenTV is a member of the Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) project, CableLabs' OpenCable initiative, ATSC DASE, and JavaTV. OpenTV is a licensee of Personal Java(TM) from Sun Microsystems.
OpenTV is supported by investments from eight leading Internet, broadcast and broadband companies including America Online (NYSE: AOL - news), Motorola (NYSE: MOT - news), Liberty Digital (Nasdaq: LDIG - news), News Corporation (NYSE: NWS - news), Time Warner (NYSE: TWX - news) and Shaw Communications (NYSE: SJR - news), in addition to Sun Microsystems (Nasdaq: SUNW - news) and MIH Limited (Nasdaq: MIHL - news).
Worldwide headquarters for OpenTV is located in Mountain View, Calif. Information on OpenTV is available at www.opentv.com.
ABOUT ACTV, INC.
ACTV, Inc. (Nasdaq: IATV - news), with headquarters in New York City, created interactive one-to-one digital television with its proprietary ``Individualized TV'' software and programming capabilities. The company has also pioneered Enhanced TV programming with its patented HyperTV® software solution. ACTV offers superior, practical solutions for television programmers, advertisers, cable operators, educators and consumers looking to leverage the emergence of digital television and the broadband delivery infrastructure.
ACTV has relationships with many of the dominant players in the Internet, television and digital technology fields, including key strategic relationships with Liberty Digital, Inc. (Nasdaq: LDIG - news), Motorola's (NYSE: MOT - news) Broadband Communications Sector, and Liberty Livewire LLC. For more information, visit ACTV's Web site at actv.com or visit hypertv.com. |
