Conducent Inc. and Reality Online Inc.
signed an agreement in which Reality will offer new ad-backed financial
software apps through Reuters Investor, the company’s Internet-based market
information solution for Web sites of financial service companies.
The software utilizes Conducent’s proprietary technology for integrating
dynamic advertising in order to subsidize the development costs, the companies
said. This will enable Reuters Investor financial services clients to provide
their customers with research and investing tools free of charge.
Conducent provides a turnkey solution for delivering Internet functionality–including advertising–inside PC software applications. Reality Online is a
Reuters company.
Personal Stock Monitor, a portfolio manager designed for individual investors
from DTLink Software, will be the first application available via Reuters
Investor as a result of the agreement. Users will be able to access Personal
Stock Monitor, as well as the other Reuters Investor products and services
from Reality’s Web site.
“Every other major medium, from TV to radio to newspapers, is subsidized by
advertising,” said Jesse Engle, Conducent’s director of content development.
“This marks an important step forward in the growth of ad-supported software
where users will come to expect ad supported software for free.”
Conducent’s proprietary technology delivers dynamic advertising in a variety
of industry standard formats to the desktop for display within Windows 95 and
98 and Windows NT software.