Marketron International Achieves Key Milestone in NBC Implementation of Marketron TV Traffic System Initial Wave of Stations Go Live on Marketron 6 with IBM DB2 Universal Database; Single Sales and Inventory Database to Serve Entire Group BURLINGAME, Calif., Aug. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Marketron International announced it has achieved a key milestone in National Broadcasting Company's (NBC) implementation of the Marketron TV Traffic system. The provider of broadcast management solutions has completed the first wave of NBC's Marketron 6 series deployment. Six NBC-owned Telemundo stations are now managing their advertising inventory with the new Marketron system and sharing a single sales and traffic database. The group's remaining 22 stations are slated to migrate to Marketron 6 in phases throughout 2004 and 2005. Under a seven-year agreement signed in July 2003, Marketron will provide integrated traffic, billing and business intelligence solutions to all NBC-owned-and-operated and all NBC-owned Telemundo stations. Built for multi-station and multi-market operating environments, Marketron's broadcast management solution reduces redundant data entry, optimizes inventory and increases revenues. The Marketron 6 series is the first traffic solution that enables large media companies to operate from a single database. Released in July 2004, it leverages the robust performance, scalability and reliability of IBM's DB2 Universal Database, the leading database for large enterprises. It also utilizes a 64-bit computing architecture for fast processing and supports Linux, an open source operating system that offers significant cost savings benefits. Operating on a single database allows all stations in a group to share mutual information such as advertiser credit ratings and programming schedules. Benefits include improved productivity due to elimination of redundant data entry and reduced aging losses due to better credit risk information. A single, shared database also enables groups to easily execute cross-station sales and promotions to increase revenue. "With the successful deployment of Marketron 6 to the first wave of stations, NBC is eager to roll out the solution to the rest of the group," said Mark Miller, Executive VP of Sales for NBC's Stations Division. "Throughout our partnership with Marketron, we've been impressed with Marketron's commitment to our success. We look forward to capitalizing on the productivity and revenue enhancing advantages of sharing a single database across all stations in our group." "The Marketron 6 series will allow NBC to break down the operational barriers between stations in the group and integrate business processes and information," said Keith Winter, President and COO of Marketron International. "By sharing a single sales and traffic database across all stations, groups can eliminate significant amounts of redundant data entry, reduce credit risks and increase cross-station revenues. Marketron looks forward to delivering increasing value to NBC as the roll-out continues." NBC outsources management of its Marketron system hardware and software to Marketron's hosting service. Launched in 2000, Marketron Hosting currently serves more than 40 broadcast groups and 5,000 individual subscribers. It provides anytime, anywhere system access, enabling NBC staff to work productively from any computer with an Internet connection. Implementations are fast and easy as there is no proprietary desktop software to install or update. Marketron Hosting's enterprise-grade protections include best-in-class system hardware, expert IT maintenance, top-shelf data security and disaster recovery. About Marketron International Marketron International is a leading provider of broadcast management solutions for the Radio, TV and Cable industries. Marketron's fully integrated suite of sales, traffic, finance and business intelligence solutions automates workflow from proposal to billing, enabling groups to optimize inventory and increase revenues. Today, 80% of the top broadcast groups in North America license Marketron solutions. Marketron International has more than 250 employees, in five offices across North America with headquarters in Burlingame, Calif. The company is privately held and its investors include Darwin Group, Internet Capital Group, Pisces Group and Rosewood Capital. For more information, please visit http://www.marketron.com/. DATASOURCE: Marketron International CONTACT: Lauren Carpenter of Marketron International, office, +1-650-548-2230, or mobile, +1-415-816-5419, or Web site: http://www.marketron.com/

Copyright