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Report: Q1 2005 Online Ad Revenue Up 26% to $2.8 Billion

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on June 6, 2005 - 10:59am.
New York -- Internet ad revenue in the first quarter of 2005 grew 26% over the same period a year ago, to $2.8 billion, according to a report from the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PricewaterhouseCoopers. First quarter ad sales were also up 4.3% compared with the fourth quarter of 2004, and represented the highest ad revenue in nine consecutive growth quarters. The report cited a larger online audience -- specifically broadband in the home -- in tandem with an increasingly fragmented TV audience, for the increase. "Marketers continue to recognize the relevance of interactive as an integral part of their marketing mix," said IAB president and CEO Greg Stuart. "The continued and steady growth we have experienced over the past 2 years is a clear indication that this medium delivers results and is fast becoming accepted as part of the mainstream."
tags: Internet | Report | Q1 |

EU Welcomes Antitrust Compliance Proposal from Microsoft

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on June 6, 2005 - 10:58am.
Brussels -- The European Commission on Monday welcomed a proposal from Microsoft that could soon lead to the resolution of a protracted antitrust dispute between the U.S.-based software giant and the EU. "I am happy that Microsoft has recognized certain principles which must underlie its implementation of the Commission's decision," EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said, adding that the Commission would now consult with industry players about the proposals. In a landmark ruling against Microsoft last March, the Commission fined the company 487 million euro for abusing its market position and ordered it to offer a version of its Windows operating systems sans Media Player. What's more, the Commission ordered Microsoft to share protocol information with rivals. A decision on whether Microsoft has complied with the ruling could come in a matter of weeks, officials said.
tags: Microsoft | Antitrust | EU | Proposal |

AOL Gives Members Unlimited E-Mail Storage, Launches AIM Mail

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on June 6, 2005 - 10:56am.
Dulles, Va. -- Attempting to gain an edge on rivals Google, Yahoo and MSN, America Online on Monday became the first online service to offer unlimited email storage to its members. With the move, AOL members using nearly 80 million AOL Mail accounts will be able to save and store an unlimited number of emails, attachments and folders on the company's servers. "Our members will be able to keep every single message and attachment they ever receive, if they wish," said Mark Greatrex, the executive vice president of access marketing for AOL. Also on Monday, AOL officially launched its free, web-based email service, known as AIM Mail. The service features two gigabytes of storage. AOL launched a test version of the service in early May.
tags: AOL | E-Mail | AIM Mail |

Sirius Satellite Radio Extends Exclusive Deal With Ford

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on June 6, 2005 - 10:55am.
New York -- Sirius Satellite Radio, a provider of subscription satellite radio programming, announced on Monday that it has extended its exclusive agreement with Ford Motor Company, which will now offer Sirius as an option on all of its brands in the U.S. Under the deal, which now extends through 2011, Ford will also increase the number of models for which it offers factory-installed Sirius receivers.
tags: Deals | Satellite Radio | Sirius | Ford |

Report: Women Purchase 60% of All Cell Phone Games Sold

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on June 6, 2005 - 10:53am.
San Francisco -- Women are purchasing more cell phone games than men, according to a survey of 30,000 mobile phone bills conducted by San Francisco-based market research firm Telephia. During the three months of February through April 2005, Telephia estimates 6.3 million people -- or 3.5% of the 180 million cell phone users in the U.S. -- purchased at least one mobile game. While women make up roughly half of U.S. cell phone owners, the firm found they purchased 60% of all mobile games. Among game titles, publisher Jamdat Mobile's "Downtown Texas Hold'em," "Tetris," "Bejeweled" and "Bowling" were the top sellers. Telephia found that while the puzzle game "Bejeweled" attracted three times as many purchases from women, "Buzztime" -- a trivia game popular in sports bars -- was purchased by twice as many men as women.
tags: Games | Reports | Women | Cell Phone |

U.S. Notebook Sales Surpass Desktops for First Time in May

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on June 6, 2005 - 10:52am.
San Diego -- For the first time in U.S. history, retail sales of notebook computers surpassed those of desktops in May, according to research firm Current Analysis. Notebook sales grew from 45.9% of the total PC retail market in May 2004 to 53.3% of last month. "The past few months have seen an increase in the number of retail notebook players, with lesser-known value players Acer and Medion gaining shelf space at major retailers such as Best Buy, Circuit City and CompUSA," said analyst Sam Bhavnani. "In addition, notebook pricing has dropped considerably." Prices, in fact, have fallen an average of 17% over the past year. The firm said that notebooks nearly topped desktops in August 2004, on the strength of intense back–to-school advertising by Toshiba.
tags: U.S | Surpass | Notebook | Desktops |