Activate, RCS, Engage Align to Deliver Dynamic Live Ad Insertion Solution.Business Editors SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 20, 2000 Streaming initiative offers radio broadcasters improved Webcasting ROI (Return On Investment) The monetary benefits derived from having spent money on developing or revising a system. In the IT world, there are more ways to compute ROI than Carter has liver pills (and for those of you who never heard of that expression, it means a lot). opportunity and a new interactive audio advertising medium Activate, RCS (1) (Remote Computer Service) A remote timesharing service. (2) (Revision Control System) A Unix utility that provides version control. RCS - Revision Control System , and Engage today announced at the NAB Radio Show, a collaborative effort to launch the Activate Radio Network featuring RCS's SplitStream Dynamic Live Ad Insertion software. Based on the Microsoft Windows See Windows. (operating system) Microsoft Windows - Microsoft's proprietary window system and user interface software released in 1985 to run on top of MS-DOS. Widely criticised for being too slow (hence "Windoze", "Microsloth Windows") on the machines available then. Media Technology, the new service marks the first integration of broadcast automation, streaming media See streaming audio, streaming video and digital media hub. Webcasting, and established third-party ad serving technology. Leveraging RCS' ad insertion, Engage AdManager, and Microsoft Windows Media technologies, Activate offers radio stations a comprehensive solution to extend their broadcast programming to the Web by delivering live 24x7 broadcast program encoding, dynamic live ad insertion and impression-based reporting. Extensions of the service support audience targeting and banner advertising Banner Advertising A common form of advertising on the internet. The banner is an advertisement of 460x68 pixels, usually placed at the top of the page Notes: For an example, just look at the top of a page on almost any popular web site. to create an even richer interaction for Web-based radio audiences. "Dynamic Live Ad Insertion allows broadcasters and advertisers to fulfill the promise of one-to-one marketing," said Jeff Schrock, CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. and founder Activate. "There is combined strength behind this online advertising push and the technology is key to the medium's future growth. I believe that as broadband access See broadband and wireless broadband. and other technologies become more widely available, interest in Internet radio Listening to audio broadcasts via the Internet. There are more than 4,000 broadcasts available on the Internet that can be streamed and played by a software media player in the computer or in a stand-alone Internet radio with the software built in. will rise, as will the medium's penetration among all demographics." The solution integrates several discrete technologies utilizing over-the-air broadcast advertising breaks to insert Internet-only ads. The following illustrates the ad insertion sequence insertion sequence n. Any of several discrete DNA sequences that repeat at various sites on a bacterial chromosome, on certain plasmids, and on bacteriophages and that can move from one site to another on the chromosome, to another plasmid in the same : 1. RCS' Technology identifies when a live upcoming commercial break is going to happen and alerts the Windows Media Player Digital jukebox software for Windows from Microsoft that plays a variety of audio, video and streaming formats including MP3, WMA, CD audio and MIDI. Starting with Version 6.2 in 1999, the Windows Media Rights Manager was added for securing copyrighted content. to get ready to insert an ad into the live broadcast programming. 2. Windows Media Player responds to the RCS software ad break notification by requesting an ad from Engage AdManager. 3. Engage AdManager decides which ad to insert for the particular listener and communicates to Windows Media Player the name of the ad and where to find it on the Activate streaming media network. 4. Windows Media Player requests the ad from the Activate network and prepares to play the ad by pre-buffering it prior to the actual insertion time. 5. RCS' technology in conjunction with Windows Media Player technology switches from the live radio content stream to the inserted ad content stream and back again when the ad break is over for a seamless listener experience. In addition to providing Windows Media Technologies See Windows Media. , Microsoft contributed to the technical development of this service and is committed to supporting dynamic ad insertion as advertisers begin to utilize this new medium. "This comprehensive, dynamic live ad insertion solution represents a significant e-commerce opportunity for streamed content providers," said Kevin Unangst, Group Product Manager, Digital Media Division, Microsoft Corp. "This is a great example of how the Windows Media platform can enable our partners to create viable business models using digital media." RCS' SplitStream capability for ad insertion integrates with RCS' Radio Show product. RCS is a leading provider of broadcast software that is used in over 5,000 radio stations worldwide. "Stations want a more compelling and profitable Web site, but they simply don't have the time, attention, or contacts to orchestrate it to complete the picture," says Philippe Generali, RCS president. "We entered the ad insertion business knowing we could provide the critical vehicle broadcasters need -- we are combining all the parts of a successful Web audio and Web graphics. RadioShow player, branded by the station and coupled with these services from Activate and Engage, makes this a reality at last." Engage's AdManager enables advertisers and content providers to deliver targeted streaming ads to their Internet listeners or viewers. Engage is a results-oriented online marketing company and majority-owned company of CMGI CMGI Commonly Maintained Grounds Infrastructures CMGI College Marketing Group Information (Services) , Inc. "Engage's ability to provide the most robust targeting and advertising management solutions for live audio applications creates a new opportunity for marketers to connect with consumers and deliver them an impression that moves beyond the banner," says David Isenberg, Engage's vice president of advanced media development. "With our combined solution, marketers now have the ability to combine the impact of radio advertising with the response and measurement capabilities on the Internet." Activate today provides a broad range of streaming services for more than 200 channels of audio, including many of the traditional broadcasters whose Internet audiences are top-rated by Arbitron's InfoStream service. About Activate Activate Corp. is a leading digital media infrastructure services company. Activate's services include: event Webcasting for business communications and consumer live events, live 24x7 Webcasting for radio, TV and Internet-only programming, and on-demand Webcasting of audio and video content to enhance any Web site. Major clients include Microsoft, Dell, Unocal, AIMR AIMR See Association for Investment Management and Research (AIMR). , iCAST, Rivals.com, National Public Radio, and CTV CTV Canadian Television (Network Limited) Sportsnet.com. Activate, a majority-owned operating company operating company A business that engages in transactions with outsiders. of CMGI, Inc., is based in Seattle with offices in New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , San Francisco and Toronto. For more information about the company or its services, please visit www.activate.com or call 206/830-5300. About RCS RCS is the world's leading provider of broadcast software. The company also develops real-time audio recognition technology and creates strategic audio programming content for Internet and corporate sites. For more information on RCS' services and 24x7 support, please visit www.rcsworks.com or call 914/428-4600 About Engage Engage, Inc. (Nasdaq:ENGA), a results-oriented online marketing company and a majority owned operating company of CMGI, Inc., provides marketers with media, analysis and technology solutions. Engage's six business divisions, Engage AdKnowledge, Engage Business Media, Engage Enabling Technologies, Engage I/PRO, Engage Media and Engage Software, combine innovative technology and marketing expertise to help online marketers maximize ROI. Based in Andover, Massachusetts, Engage has European headquarters in London and offices worldwide. For more information on Engage and its divisions please call 877-U-ENGAGE or visit http://www.engage.com. Engage is a registered trademark of Engage, Inc. All other products and services mentioned may be trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. Engage Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation An action brought in court to enforce a particular right. The act or process of bringing a lawsuit in and of itself; a judicial contest; any dispute. When a person begins a civil lawsuit, the person enters into a process called litigation. Reform Act This press release includes forward-looking information. All statements other than statements of historical fact, including without limitation, those with respect to Engage's objectives, plans and strategies set forth herein are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties which could cause Engage's future results of operations to differ materially from those anticipated, and other risks detailed in Engage's 1999 Annual Report on Form 10-K Form 10-K A report required by the SEC from exchange-listed companies that provides for annual disclosure of certain financial information. Form 10-K See 10-K. and from time to time in Engage's other reports filed with the SEC. |
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