New York, 11/6/00 - DoubleClick (Nasdaq: DCLK), the leading
global Internet advertising solutions company and Vindigo, developer
of the leading personal navigation platform for handheld devices,
today announced that the two companies will begin market trials
to test mobile advertising on Vindigo’s platform. These market
trials, which are slated to begin in the first quarter of 2001,
build on DoubleClick’s initiative to develop a mobile advertising
model compelling to advertisers, users and content providers,
and during Comdex from Palm beaming stations.
As part of this mobile advertising initiative, DoubleClick also
announced today that it is working with OmniSky, a leading provider
of branded wireless Internet and email services for users of handheld
devices, to test wireless advertising on the OmniSky wireless
service.
Market trials will be conducted in major metropolitan areas including:
New York City, San Francisco, Chicago, and Boston. These markets
will provide DoubleClick and Vindigo with the ability to develop
and test innovative and compelling mobile advertising solutions
that are relevant, valuable and protect the privacy of users.
As part of the advertising initiative, Vindigo will leverage DoubleClick’s
world-class sales force for mobile ad sales representation. Vindigo
and DoubleClick plan to begin the mobile advertising trial on
Vindigo in the first quarter of 2001 and expect results from these
trials to be available in mid 2001.
“We are excited to be working with two of the clear leaders
in the consumer mobile services market, Vindigo and OmniSky, to
develop effective mobile advertising solutions,” said Jamie Byrne,
Strategic Director for Emerging Platforms, DoubleClick. “These
market trials will be an important step for the mobile ad industry
by producing an empirical understanding of the mobile advertising
model and consumer acceptance of mobile advertising.”
Consumers in metropolitan cities nationwide currently use Vindigo
to get the timely, local content they need to make fast, informed
decisions about where to Eat, Shop and Play. Vindigo combines
the ease and convenience of mobile devices with original content,
in-depth information and expert reviews. It instantly adapts to
a user’s location and interests to serve as a lifestyle resource
for on-the-fly activities and decisions.
"A service built on Vindigo's platform provides marketers with
a powerful way to target consumers at time of purchase,” said
Jason Devitt, CEO of Vindigo. “Every time consumers use a service
built on Vindigo's platform they are planning a purchase, and
they tell us where they are and what they are looking for. That's
the perfect time for marketers to reach them anonymously with
a message."
According to IDC, the worldwide handheld market is projected
to grow from 7.1 million devices shipped by year-end to 19.1 million
devices shipped by the end of 2004, a growth of 28 percent. An
increasingly mobile workforce is driving this growth for handheld
devices. People need to stay in contact with the office, and the
PDA is lightweight, powerful and economical. With an estimated
30 percent of the U.S. workforce (or 35.7 million people) out
of the office traveling today, and forecasts for 37 percent of
the total workforce (or 47.1 million workers) out by 2003, this
is clearly a large market opportunity.
About Vindigo
Vindigo creates resource-rich software for mobile devices that
allows people to explore, enjoy, and connect to the world around
them. The company's core product, also called Vindigo, transforms
Palm(tm) handhelds and compatibles into personal navigators. It
delivers location-specific information about the limitless choices
of places to go and things to do in popular cities. Combining
mobility, insiders' insight, and in-depth content from the nation's
most trusted local sources - including the nytoday.com, washingtonpost.com,
and sfgate.com - Vindigo instantly adapts to a user's location
and interests. Vindigo gives busy people the ability to make quick,
savvy, lifestyle decisions about where to eat, shop and play anytime,
wherever they are.
About DoubleClick Inc.
www.doubleclick.net is the leading global provider of ad delivery
technology with the largest Network of top Web sites worldwide.
The company provides nearly 5,000 Web advertisers and over 3,200
publishers with ad sales, technology, data, email, wireless and
promotions solutions to meet online marketing needs. DoubleClick
products help advertisers and publishers build customer relationships
through brand awareness and customer retention. DoubleClick Inc.
has global headquarters in New York City and maintains over 40
offices around the world.