New York - The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has announced that an industry dispute over the accuracy of website ratings from dueling providers comScore and Nielsen/NetRatings is in the process of being resolved, as both companies have acquiesced to its request they submit to third-party audits.

Differences in comScore's and Nielsen's audience measurements, and website publishers' own tallies have been a point of contention for years, culminating in the IAB's request that the companies undertake an audit to help uncover the source of the discrepancies.

Both companies' technologies will be assessed by the Media Rating Council, which has been assessing traditional media audience measurement systems since its establishment by Congress in 1963.

The IAB also agreed to work with its members and the rest of the industry on updating standards for audience measurement, and on marketplace education around the multiple ways Internet traffic can be measured and audience composition and behavior assessed.

Related Links:
http://www.iab.net/news/pr_2007_05_22.asp

http://www.comscore.com

http://www.nielsen-netratings.com