United Internet acquires stake in virtual minds and adserving specialists ADITION
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Montabaur (euro adhoc) - Montabaur, February 14, 2008. United Internet AG has acquired a 48.65% stake in virtual minds AG (Freiburg im Breisgau), a media holding company specializing in technology, media and content/entertainment, as well as its subsidiary the adserving specialist ADITION technologies AG.
Apart from ADITION, the profitably operating virtual minds holding company owns a number of majority shareholdings, such as the data center operator myloc, the advertising platform BannerCommunity, the fiber optic network operator fibre one networks and the games portal gamed.de. The management team, consisting of Andreas Kleiser, Torsten Wenniges and Christoph Herrnkind, will continue to be responsible for the operating business of the holding company and its subsidiaries.
ADITION technologies AG is the third-largest adserving supplier on the German online market, after Doubleclick and Ad Tech. ADITION's customers include Deutsche Bahn (DB), Tagesspiegel Online and Tipp24.de. United Internet's strategic investment is aimed at securing the continued independence and competitive neutrality of ADITION via a minority holding. ADITION's role as a neutral service provider is to be strengthened following the takeover of Doubleclick by Google (subject in Europe to a decision by the EU Commission's anti-trust authority) and Ad Tech by AOL and their integration into the companies' respective marketing systems.
"Adserving is one of the core technologies and one of the most data-sensitive areas in the growing digital advertising market. The ongoing concentration process in the field of technology and data is creating a restrictive competitive situation due to the market power of the major global providers - not least due to the planned takeover of the former neutral provider Doubleclick by Google, a move which is highly questionable with regard to anti-trust and data protection legislation. It is essential for an open, functioning and independent digital media market in Germany and Europe that we preserve and strengthen the position of neutral service providers," explains Matthias Ehrlich, Board Member of United Internet Media AG, the marketing specialist for all portals belonging to United Internet Group companies.
Andreas Kleiser, Board Member of virtual minds AG, adds: "United Internet's investment secures the independence and scalability of ADITION so that we can offer attractive technology and product alternatives to Doubleclick and AdTech to an even wider customer base in future. In this way, ADITION can continue as a neutral adserving provider and establish itself as a relevant player also in new, and above all international market segments. This will also benefit the entire adserving market and the digital advertising market as a whole."
The adserver technology ADITION adserving has been in use since 2001 among companies of the internet holding group virtual minds AG and was optimized for their own needs. In 2004 the technology was entrusted to the specially founded subsidiary ADITION technologies AG and has since been developed for the premium segment of online marketing. Within just a short period of time, ADITION technologies AG developed into a permanent fixture among adserver providers on the German-speaking market: it already boasted some major-name references before its official launch at the OMD 2006. This was made possible by a carefully conceived back-end, amongst other things, which guarantees outstanding real-time performance even with steadily growing serving volumes, thanks to its modular structure. The active integration of so-called adviser clients into the respective project planning processes also ensures market-oriented alignment of all areas and ultimately the customer's success. The aim of ADITION technologies is to further establish itself on the German-speaking market in 2008, in order to lay the foundation for successful international expansion.
About United Internet With over 7.07 million customer contracts, United Internet AG is a leading Internet Service Provider (ISP). In its "Product" segment, the Group's value- added internet services and fast internet connections are directed at private users, small/home offices (SoHos) and small to mid-size enterprises (SMEs). These groups are served by the brands GMX, WEB.DE, 1&1, InterNetX and Fasthosts. In addition to its "Product" business, the Group is also engaged in "Online Marketing" (via the brands AdLINK Media, affilinet and Sedo).
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Further inquiry note:
Marcus Schaps
Head of Press and Public Relations
United Internet AG
Elgendorfer Straße 57
56410 Montabaur
Tel: +49 2602/96-1076
Fax: +49 2602/96-1013
E-mail: mschaps@united-internet.de
Internet: www.united-internet.de
Branche: Telecommunications Services
ISIN: DE0005089031
WKN: 508903
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