24/7 REAL MEDIA OPENS OFFICE IN ITALY TO EXPAND EUROPEAN PRESENCE
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Enhances Company’s Position in Europe’s Fastest Growing Internet
Marketplace and Solidifies Its Footprint in All Ten of the World’s Top
Media Markets
NEW YORK AND ROME – April 19, 2005 – 24/7 Real Media, Inc. (Nasdaq: TFSM), a pioneer in interactive marketing and technology, today announced the opening of its office in Italy to enhance its presence in Europe’s fastest growing Internet marketplace and expand the company’s European and global footprints.
24/7 Real Media’s new office extends the scope of the company’s European operations and will enable it to more aggressively grow its existing Italian client base, which already includes number one financial and business Web site Il Sole 24 Ore, who’s been partnering with 24/7 Real Media for the last 5 years , and its online sales division, Il Sole 24 ORE WebSystem, who also represents the following sites: Goal.com, Film.it, Videogame.it and Stile.it. More recently, A.Manzoni&C, the advertising sales arm of Gruppo Editoriale L'Espresso S.p.A., also became a 24/7 Real Media customer in Q1 2004. Gruppo Editoriale L'Espresso sells advertising for some of the most visited sites in Italy, including La Repubblica, Kataweb, Radio DeeJay, L'Espresso Online and National Geographic. According to Nielsen NetRatings, Internet usage in Italy is currently growing at a faster rate than any other EU country ¹ , with 54 percent of the population already connected. Italy also has the strongest rate of broadband penetration among all European countries², registering 134 percent growth in the fourth quarter of 2004.
“Building off our recent expansion into Japan, we are solidifying our presence in the Italian market to leverage the full potential of Italy’s growing online advertising marketplace and the significant revenue growth opportunities that exist there,” said David J. Moore, chairman and CEO of 24/7 Real Media, Inc. “The opening of our Italian office is a significant milestone in our global growth strategy, as we now have operations in all ten of the world’s leading media markets.”
According to JupiterResearch, Europe’s online advertising market is expected to increase by 28 percent in 2005 to 2.7 billion euros ($3.7 billion), and reach 3.8 billion euros ($5.0 billion) in 2008.
“With operations and staff stationed in Italy, 24/7 Real Media will have a much stronger pan-European presence and be better positioned to take advantage of the rapidly growing online advertising market in Europe,” added Christopher Wagner, CEO Europe of 24/7 Real Media.
Initial plans call for 24/7 Real Media to focus its Italian operations’ efforts primarily on marketing its technology service offerings through its 24/7 Technology business unit, including Open AdStream, the company’s award-winning ad management platform. 24/7 Real Media will then make a strategic assessment as to the best time to introduce its leading-edge search engine marketing offerings to the Italian market, through its 24/7 Search division.
While already doing business in Italy, Pierre Naggar, managing director of 24/7 Real Media Italy, sees significant competitive advantages to having a permanent office in the country.
“As there is high demand within the Italian market for online advertising tools and strategies that deliver increased reach, frequency and return on investment, we are confident that the opening of our Italian office will enable us to more effectively drive sales while also delivering enhanced levels of account management, technical support and customer service,” said Naggar.
24/7 Real Media’s new office will be located at: Via Boezio 6, 00192 Rome, Italy.
About 24/7 Real Media, Inc.
24/7 Real Media, a pioneer in interactive marketing and technology,
targets and delivers audiences for publishers and marketers.
Our customers generate increased revenue and profits through
media and search services, coupled with one seamless platform
of serving, targeting, tracking and analytics technologies.
The company is headquartered in New York, with offices in
other major U.S. cities, Canada, Europe and Asia. For more
information, please visit www.247realmedia.com.
Investor Relations
Sushene Leitch
Director, Investor Relations
24/7 Real Media, Inc.
Telephone: 212-231-7990
Email: sushene.leitch@247realmedia.com
Media Relations
Eric Sokolsky
Weber Shandwick
Director
Telephone: 212.445-8081
Email: esokolsky@webershandwick.com
