24/7 Real Media Launches Rich Media Vendor Certification Program
Program Sets New Standards for Quality Rich Media Delivery and Accountability, Enabling a Better, More Profitable Rich Media Experience for Vendors and Publishers
New York – March 13th, 2006 - 24/7 Real Media, Inc. (Nasdaq: TFSM), a pioneer in interactive marketing and technology, today announced the launch of its Rich Media Vendor Certification program, which will enable rich media vendors and advertisers to decrease labor costs, time to market and performance reporting discrepancies, while increasing the revenue-generating potential of the rich media creative.
The 24/7 Real Media Rich Media Vendor Certification is the only program that requires all creatives to work in actual live conditions with 24/7 Real Media's industry leading Open AdStream® ad management platform, and that the vendor's reporting mechanisms consistently match 24/7 Real Media's performance metrics. More than 800 publishers around the world use Open AdStream to deliver multiple formats of ads to Web sites, streaming audio and video, and interactive television. Additional information and a vendor certification application can be found at: www.247realmedia.com.
"24/7 Real Media's Rich Media Vendor Certification program is the most stringent and rigorous in the industry," said Steven Goldberg, vice president of business development at 24/7 Real Media. "With this program, 24/7 Real Media is setting the standard for high-quality rich media delivery and accountability, and we hope that it will encourage other ad networks and governing bodies to adopt similar standards."
To obtain certification, each vendor must pass through a progressive four-step process. First, each vendor's rich media code is checked for errors by 24/7 Real Media's Rich Media Engineering Group. Next, the ad is run in a test lab that simulates live campaign conditions, to ensure that delivery times fall within acceptable latency thresholds. Preliminary vendor reporting numbers are checked against Open AdStream's logs for accuracy. Then, a live campaign using the vendor's creative is run on the 24/7 Web Alliance network of more than 800 sites, where vendor latency and server up-time minimums must be met. Finally, reporting is checked for errors and discrepancies. Vendors passing all four stages become 24/7 Real Media Rich Media Certified, and their information is added to the 24/7 Real Media knowledge base.
"Ad counting discrepancies and technical glitches surrounding rich media ads have resulted in a great deal of friction and a tremendous amount of lost revenue for vendors, advertisers, and publishers" said Tom Swenson, product manager for 24/7 Real Media's Rich Media Vendor Certification Program. "24/7 Real Media's Rich Media Vendor Certification program will reassure all parties that the rich media creative will run smoothly across our network, and that performance metrics will be accurate."
"The industry has moved along without any kind of central quality control guidelines for rich media delivery, and we applaud 24/7 Real Media for taking the necessary first steps to instill high standards that benefit advertisers, publishers and rich media vendors alike," said Nir Shimoni, Vice President of Product Management for Eyeblaster.
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.
For more information on 24/7 Real Media, Inc., please contact:
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
