The latest version of the AdsML Framework 3.5, release 2, was approved June 30 by the AdsML Consortium following a two month review and voting period. It is available at www.adsml.org. AdsML members and interested parties are encouraged to download the release and begin using it.

Features

AdsML Framework 3.5 has been in development for [...]]]> July 15

The latest version of the AdsML Framework 3.5, release 2, was approved June 30 by the AdsML Consortium following a two month review and voting period. It is available at www.adsml.org. AdsML members and interested parties are encouraged to download the release and begin using it.

Features

AdsML Framework 3.5 has been in development for the past two years and represents a considerable advance over Framework 3.0. New and enhanced features include:

• The Framework now provides dedicated support for interactive advertisements across the entire AdsML lifecycle.
• A new specification, AdsML Media Pack, provides message formats for the exchange of rate cards and technical specifications.
• AdsML Materials now supports the transmission of advertisement components in addition to completed artwork.
• The entire Framework now provides support for multilingual textual metadata, meaning that instructions and descriptions can be conveyed in more than one language.
• Expanded set of Ad Codes.

This is the second release of Framework 3.5; an earlier version was made available for public review last June. Release 2 is fully compatible with Release 1 and builds on its capabilities. However, implementers should be aware that Framework 3.5 as a whole is not backwards compatible with Framework 3.0.

Pound Hill Software Inc. has implemented the AdsML Ad Ticket in its MetaGrove product suite. MetaGrove provides a custom screen (Dialog) for the entry of AdsML Ad Ticket metadata, implementing the AdsML AdTicket 1.0 specification. A Dialog for the [...]]]> Anaheim, CA – April 23, 2010 – Pound Hill Software Updates MetaGrove Dialog for AdsML Ad Ticket

Pound Hill Software Inc. has implemented the AdsML Ad Ticket in its MetaGrove product suite. MetaGrove provides a custom screen (Dialog) for the entry of AdsML Ad Ticket metadata, implementing the AdsML AdTicket 1.0 specification. A Dialog for the GWG Ad Ticket, a subset of the AdsML Ad Ticket with additional GWG fields, is also provided by MetaGrove.

About Pound Hill Software

Established in 2001, Pound Hill Software Inc. develops, markets, and supports software tools that enhance the ability of digital media professionals to tag, identify and access today’s growing diversity of rich media files, regardless of file format. Pound Hill Software’s MetaGrove toolkit enriches the ability to define, capture and display XMP metadata beyond the basic tools in the native authoring environment.

Pound Hill Software is headquartered in Anaheim, California.

Click to view the announcement.

Interactive advertising now supported across the entire AdsML workflow

DARMSTADT, Germany – 25 August 2009 – AdsML Framework 3.5, Release 1 is an interim release of the AdsML Framework which contains many new features that are being made available for public review and comment.

Major additions include support for interactive [...]]]> Interactive bookings, media rate card for public review

Interactive advertising now supported across the entire AdsML workflow

DARMSTADT, Germany – 25 August 2009 – AdsML Framework 3.5, Release 1 is an interim release of the AdsML Framework which contains many new features that are being made available for public review and comment.

Major additions include support for interactive advertising across the complete business chain, from rate card to invoicing and proof of publication, as well as the completely new AdsML Media Pack specification supporting media rate cards.

There are also a number of smaller improvements, especially in AdsML Bookings and AdsML Proof of Publication.

Specifications in this release have Proposed status, which means they are believed to be stable but are subject to change based on user feedback. Organizations wishing to benefit from the features contained in this release, and willing to accommodate the minor changes that may occur before the specifications are approved, are encouraged to begin working with it.

“Being a truly cross-media standard was one of our objectives from the start, but first we had to build the infrastructure and ensure that the print workflow was properly supported. Now AdsML is ready for the online world as well.” says Harald Löffler, Research Manager at WAN-IFRA.

Kärkimedia of Finland is a media broker company owned by 34 major Finnish newspapers and offers a nationwide intermedia solution for major Finnish advertisers. “In 2010 we are going to offer the electronic media rate card for media agencies for their system update. This will be based on the AdsML rate card.” says Tapani Huovinen, Production Manager at Kärkimedia. “Without the AdsML Framework our work would have been much harder and also more expensive.’’

About the AdsML Framework

The AdsML Framework for E-Commerce Business Standards for Advertising (AdsML Framework) is the first international data-exchange standard for managing the electronic transfer of information throughout the advertising industry, for all distribution channels. For additional information, visit http://www.adsml.org.

About the AdsML Consortium and its Partners

The mission of the AdsML Consortium is to develop an open standard that will unify and extend existing advertising standards and automate advertising business processes — across all types of media, for all stages of the lifecycle of an advertisement, across all segments of the advertising industry, worldwide. It is supported by WAN-IFRA, a leading international association for newspaper and media publishing and the Newspaper Association of America (NAA), which represents more than 2,000 newspapers in the U.S. and Canada.

PubliGroupe is a strategic partner of the Consortium. The Consortium’s other members include a list of prominent companies and organizations united to create a set of media-neutral, internationally-adopted specifications and business processes for the exchange of advertising information and content across all platforms.

Download Press Release (PDF)

DARMSTADT, Germany — In an online balloting process that just ended, AdsML Consortium members approved the latest Framework release, AdsML 3.0 Release 5. The release is considered major, since each specification included has Approved Status; [...]]]> All Specifications Ready for Production Use

Major enhancements made to AdsML Materials and AdsML Bookings; specifications package now available for online browsing

DARMSTADT, Germany — In an online balloting process that just ended, AdsML Consortium members approved the latest Framework release, AdsML 3.0 Release 5. The release is considered major, since each specification included has Approved Status; none have only Proposed Status. All specifications in Release 5 are ready for production use.

User and member feedback drove many of the major enhancements made to the Materials and Bookings specifications. Other changes are less significant, though necessary: maintenance upgrades, changes made to keep schema structures aligned throughout the suite of standards, and updates to correct errors and allow the new Type Library to be imported.

User feedback important

“Several aspects of this release are worth noting,” said AdsML Consortium Chair John Iobst, vice president of Newspaper Association of America in Arlington, Virginia. “This is the first full release of approved specifications since AdsML 1.0 was issued in 2003. The user experiences that drove these latest enhancements are strong. This is a well-tested standard. Some vendors already have incorporated it into their products.

“In addition,” Iobst continued, “our development team enhanced the specification download procedure, so that you now can either download the full release or browse the various specifications online, selecting and downloading components one by one. This offers an improved user experience.”

Documentation also strengthened
Particular focus was given to documentation, adding use cases and examples. The strengthened documentation will make examining and implementing the standard eiseier. “This is an ongoing effort,” said Iobst. “If you know of additional changes that are needed, don’t hesitate to let us know about them.”

About the AdsML Framework
The AdsML Framework for E-Commerce Business Standards for Advertising (AdsML Framework) is the first international data-exchange standard for managing the electronic transfer of information throughout the advertising industry, for all distribution channels. Stated informally, AdsML’s vision is to tie together all of the parties and disparate software packages involved in producing,booking, distributing and publishing an ad, so they operate as if they all use the same software system, although they don’t. For additional information, visit http://www.adsml.org.

About the AdsML Consortium and Its Partners
The mission of the AdsML Consortium is to develop an open standard that will unify and extend existing advertising standards and automate advertising business processes — across all types of media, for all stages of the lifecycle of an advertisement, across all segments of the advertising industry, worldwide. It is supported by Ifra, a leading international association for newspaper and media publishing and the Newspaper Association of America (NAA), which represents more than 2,000 newspapers in the U.S. and Canada.

The Consortium’s strategic partners are Associated Newspapers, Ltd., Publigroupe and Time Inc. The Consortium’s members include a growing list of companies and organizations united to create a set of media-neutral, internationally-adopted specifications and business processes for the exchange of advertising information and content.

Download Press Release (PDF)

Darmstadt, Germany, 9 November 2007 — AdsML Consortium members voted to approve AdsML Framework 3.0 Release 3. In doing so, they confirmed the viability of financial and proof of performance specifications that allow advertisers to receive this key [...]]]> Member Approval of AdsML Framework 3.0 Release 3 Completes Specification Development for Print Media; Interactive Is Next

Darmstadt, Germany, 9 November 2007 — AdsML Consortium members voted to approve AdsML Framework 3.0 Release 3. In doing so, they confirmed the viability of financial and proof of performance specifications that allow advertisers to receive this key information in a consistent fashion.

Included in AdsML 3.0 Release 3 is a minor schema update pertaining to AdTicket XMP panels and a first release of maintenance updates for the Bookings and Materials specifications. Go to www.adsml.org to download the newly approved release and for additional information.

“With this release,” says Tony Stewart, director of consulting, RivCom Inc., and chair of the AdsML Technical Working Group, “we not only have the new financial and proof of performance specifications available, but we’ve also upgraded the bookings and materials specifications — previously approved — to work seamlessly with them. For the first time, we have robust, stable and interoperable specifications for the entire, end-to-end advertising workflow.”

John Iobst, vice president of Technology, Newspapers Association of America (NAA), and vice chair of the AdsML Consortium, points out that “Publishers who chose to work with advertisers and provide daily invoicing and proof of performance can significantly accelerate the invoice reconciliation process, which will allow the contracted payment schedule to proceed as agreed upon.”

Standards make print media ‘easier to do business with.’
Newspapers and magazines that have been standing by for the print media specifications to be completed will be pleased with the flexibility and richness built in to the suite of specifications. AdsML 3.0 Release 3 is designed to meet all contingencies within the broader international market. While no organization will need every part of the standards suite, the capabilities are available to those who need them.

“Becoming easier to do business with is a key deliverable for our industry”, said John Kimball, NAA’s chief marketing officer. “The improved accuracy of invoicing coupled with measurably better proof of performance puts AdsML at the heart of this initiative.”

Next: Interactivity — specifications for online advertising.
The next phase in the AdsML Consortium’s broader specification development mission — interactive advertising for Internet-based businesses — is the challenge the Consortium takes up in 2008. Developers aim to release a proposed interactive specification for review and comment by next fall.

About the AdsML Framework
The AdsML Framework for E-Commerce Business Standards for Advertising (AdsML Framework) is the first international data-exchange standard for managing the electronic transfer of information throughout the advertising industry, for all distribution channels. For additional information, visit http://www.adsml.org.

About the AdsML Consortium and Its Partners
The mission of the AdsML Consortium is to develop an open standard that will unify and extend existing advertising standards and automate advertising business processes — across all types of media, for all stages of the lifecycle of an advertisement, across all segments of the advertising industry, worldwide. It is supported by Ifra, a leading international association for newspaper and media publishing and the Newspaper Association of America (NAA), which represents more than 2,000 newspapers in the U.S. and Canada.

The Consortium’s strategic partners are Agfa, Associated Newspapers Ltd., IDEAlliance, Publigroupe and Time Inc. The Consortium’s members include a growing list of companies and organizations united to create a set of media-neutral, internationally-adopted specifications and business processes for the exchange of advertising information and content.

Click to download the press release

Darmstadt, Germany, 25 April 2007 — Invoices, credits, and e-tearsheets are the focus of the new release issued today by the AdsML Consortium. With AdsML 3.0 Release 2 [...]]]> Specifications for Invoicing, Proof of Publication Lead ‘Release Candidates’ in AdsML 3.0 Release 2. Two financial specifications close the ‘order-to-invoice’ loop of advertising business processes; public comment invited

Darmstadt, Germany, 25 April 2007 — Invoices, credits, and e-tearsheets are the focus of the new release issued today by the AdsML Consortium. With AdsML 3.0 Release 2 — which spotlights AdsMLFinancials and AdsMLProofOfPublication — advertisers will attain a level of benefits from implementing the AdsML Framework that only publishers enjoyed until now.

“These are the specifications advertisers, advertising agencies and the vendors who support them have been waiting for,” says AdsML Chair Harald Löffler. “There are now stable AdsML specifications for the entire advertising process, beginning with the ad order and ending with publication and invoicing. For the print portion of the advertising industry, the AdsML Framework is complete.”

Ready for Pilot Projects, Early-stage Production Implementations.
As “release candidates,” the financial and proof-of-publication (e-tearsheets) specifications await further public comment and member-wide approval through e-balloting on their adoption before they received the “Approved” designation. However, developers consider both specifications highly stable and expect that changes resulting from the comments period will be minor.

Also included in AdsML 3.0 Release 2 is a patched set of Ad Ticket XMP panels, updated versions of the Controlled vocabularies and TypeLibrary schemas and a copy of the requirements that will guide the addition of Interactive Bookings support to the next version of the AdsMLBookings specification. Substantial other capabilities will be added to AdsMLBookings during the next six month development cycle.

About the AdsML Framework
The AdsML Framework for E-Commerce Business Standards for Advertising (AdsML Framework) is the first international data-exchange standard for managing the electronic transfer of information throughout the advertising industry, for all distribution channels. For additional information, visit http://www.adsml.org.

About the AdsML Consortium and Its Partners
The mission of the AdsML Consortium is to develop an open standard that will unify and extend existing advertising standards and automate advertising business processes — across all types of media, for all stages of the lifecycle of an advertisement, across all segments of the advertising industry, worldwide. It is supported by Ifra, a leading international association for newspaper and media publishing and the Newspaper Association of America (NAA), which represents more than 2,000 newspapers in the U.S. and Canada.

The Consortium’s strategic partners are Agfa, Associated Newspapers, Ltd., IDEAlliance, Ifra , News International Newspapers, Publigroupe and Time Inc. The Consortium’s members include a growing list of companies and organizations united to create a set of media-neutral, internationally-adopted specifications and business processes for the exchange of advertising information and content.

Click to download the press release

DARMSTADT, Germany, 6 October 2006 - The first AdsML specifications for financial advertising processes for print media — AdsML Financials and AdsML Proof of Publication — are open to public review and comment. The proposed standards for e-invoices and [...]]]> Proposed AdsML Framework 3.0 Release 1 Specifications Cap Standards Development for Lifecycle of Print Advertisments

DARMSTADT, Germany, 6 October 2006 - The first AdsML specifications for financial advertising processes for print media — AdsML Financials and AdsML Proof of Publication — are open to public review and comment. The proposed standards for e-invoices and e-tearsheets/e-proofs are included in AdsML Framework 3.0 Release 1, issued this week. Framework 3.0 also includes the just approved and published AdsML 2.0 Release 8. Both releases are available at www.adsml.org.

“At this point in the development of the AdsML Framework, we are soliciting user experiences and feedback to refine and strengthen the new Financials and Proof of Publication specifications,” says AdsML’s Technical Working Group Chair Tony Stewart, director of consulting for Rivcom Inc. in New York, N.Y. USA. “Framework 3.0 is the release that should be downloaded by industry users interested in previewing and testing these proposed specifications, or indeed any of our standards. Future updates to the Framework will be guided by the responses that we receive now.”

Specification development for print advertisements completed

“Development and release of the proposed Framework 3.0 specifications caps an industry-wide effort that began four years ago in Barcelona, Spain,” notes AdsML Consortium Chair John W. Iobst, PhD, vice president of operations for the Newspaper Association of America, Vienna, Va. USA. “This process engaged every sector of the global print advertising industry and attests not only to the need for these specifications, but to the international advertising community’s determination that a single suite of standards govern advertising e‑commerce throughout the world, wherever ads appear.”

Guy Gleysteen, vice president of Paper & Digital Development at Time Inc., New York, N.Y. USA, adds, “AdsML continues to make important progress as evidenced by the latest e-invoice and e-tearsheet specifications release. Publishers are working actively to implement electronic transactions with advertising agencies, and each of these AdsML releases represents critical progress in that effort.”

About the AdsML Framework

The AdsML Framework for E-Commerce Business Specifications for Advertising (AdsML Framework) is the first international data-exchange initiative for managing the electronic transfer of information between all trading partners in the print-media advertising supply chain.

About the AdsML Consortium and Its Partners

The AdsML Consortium has developed an open specification for e-commerce that has unified and extended existing initiatives for print-media advertising and advanced the capability for automating the print-media advertising supply chain. The AdsML Framework specifications ultimately will govern all other types of advertising media, through all stages of an advertisement’s lifecycle, for all segments of the worldwide advertising industry.

The Consortium is sponsored by Ifra, a leading international association for newspaper and media publishing, IDEAlliance, a leader in information-technology solutions for the graphic arts print industry, and the Newspaper Association of America (NAA), which represents more than 2,000 newspapers in the U.S. and Canada.

The Consortium’s strategic partners are Agfa, Associated Newspapers Ltd. and Time Inc. The Consortium’s members include more than 70 companies and organizations united to create a set of media-neutral, internationally-adopted specifications and business processes for the digital exchange of advertising information and content.

Click to download the press release

DARMSTADT, 2 October 2006 - The AdsML Consortium released AdsML Framework 2.0 Release 8 today, following member-wide balloting that confirmed the proposed AdsML XMP AdTicket Specification as an approved specification.

The XMP AdTicket Schema allows key advertising metadata, that would normally be exchanged in [...]]]> AdsML Framework 2.0 Release 8 Issued; Includes Newly Approved XMP Ad Ticket Schema

DARMSTADT, 2 October 2006 - The AdsML Consortium released AdsML Framework 2.0 Release 8 today, following member-wide balloting that confirmed the proposed AdsML XMP AdTicket Specification as an approved specification.

The XMP AdTicket Schema allows key advertising metadata, that would normally be exchanged in hard copy, to be embedded into digital artwork files, such as PDFs. This information is stored permanently in the PDF file. The AdTicket specification, like other AdsML specifications underwent a controlled development process that included multiple reviews by Consortium members, a period of public review and comment, changes based on the public comment phase and a balloting period for member approval.

AdsML Framework 2.0, Release 8 has been approved for general release as of 1 October 2006 and represents the final version of the Framework 2.0 development series. It is a stable release that is the choice of users and vendors who are planning to implement print media advertising supply chain integration solutions. To download the new release, visit http://www.adsml.org.

Also included in AdsML 2.0 Release 8 are backwards-compatible changes to the AdsML Bookings, AdsML Materials and AdsML TypeLibraries schemas that improve usability. Additional maintenance changes, also backwards-compatible, were made to several other specifications.

New Release Completes Print Media Ad Publication Cycle

“With the publication of AdsML 2.0 Release 8, everything is in place to take an advertisement from order and order verification to delivery of ad materials including display artwork and classified content, through to publication,” says John W. Iobst, Ph.D., chair of the AdsML Consortium and vice president of operations, Newspaper Association of America, Vienna, Virginia, U.S. “The development of this standard now is frozen, pending feedback from implementers in test projects.”

Alan Darling, Vio Worldwide, concurs. “With the release of this version of AdsML, the last objections to the adoption of the specfications by developers, advertisers, media buyers, agencies and publishers have been removed. We will be seeing more pilots over the next three to six months that use AdsML at their core.”

About the AdsML Framework

The AdsML Framework for E-Commerce Business Specifications for Advertising (AdsML Framework) is the first international data-exchange initiative for managing the electronic transfer of information between all trading partners in the print-media advertising supply chain.

About the AdsML Consortium and Its Partners

The AdsML Consortium has developed an open specification for e-commerce that has unified and extended existing initiatives for print-media advertising and advanced the capability for automating the print-media advertising supply chain. The AdsML Framework specifications ultimately will govern all types of advertising media, through all stages of an advertisement’s lifecycle, for all segments of the worldwide advertising industry.

The Consortium is sponsored by Ifra, a leading international association for newspaper and media publishing, IDEAlliance, a leader in information-technology solutions for the graphic arts print industry, and the Newspaper Association of America (NAA), which represents more than 2,000 newspapers in the U.S. and Canada.

The Consortium’s strategic partners are Agfa, Associated Newspapers Ltd. and Time Inc. The Consortium’s members include more than 70 companies and organizations united to create a set of media-neutral, internationally-adopted specifications and business processes for the digital exchange of advertising information and content.

Click to download the press release