NEW MEDIA: Briefs

Razorfish, the US digital communications agency, is to float on the

New York Stock Exchange with an initial public offering of three million

shares, priced at dollars 16 (pounds 10) each. The offering is being

handled by Credit Suisse First Boston, BancBoston Robertson Stevens, BT

Alex Brown and Lehman Brothers. Last year it acquired UK-based web

houses CHBi and Sunbather.

Golden Vale has launched a new web site to promote its Cheestrings

brand.

The site is targeted at an older age group than the existing site, which

has been live for around two years. The new pages feature an online

competition and additional strategy games using Shockwave, and was

developed by Leeds-based Pilot Interactive. The web address is

www.cheestrings.co.uk.

Dunlop Tyres has appointed Birmingham-based Strandloop to develop its

new media strategy in the UK. Its previous new media work was handled on

a European-wide level by MIT Media in Germany.

Nettec, the internet consultancy company, has appointed Paul Mountford

as a non-executive director. Mountford joins from Cisco Systems, where

he was vice-president for Europe Middle East and Africa.

Icon Medialab, the Swedish new media company, has further expanded its

European operations by acquiring two internet agencies - Milan-based

I.Com and French outfit Web Concept. Clients of I.Com include Alitalia,

KPMG, and Fiat. Web Concept’s clients include L’Oreal, Canal Satellite

and EMI/Virgin.

Financial details were not disclosed, although both deals will be at

least part-funded by non-cash issues.

QXL, the London-based online auction retailer, has appointed Jim Rose as

chief executive officer. Rose joins from United Information Group, the

marketing information subsidiary of United News & Media. He takes over

from founder Tim Jackson, who becomes a non-executive director. The

address is www.qxl.com.

Pixelpark, the German new media firm, is setting up in the UK, after

opening a Paris office in August last year. The company has appointed

Pat Nelson, formerly an account director at The Microsoft Network, as

its UK managing director. Nelson takes up his post at the end of

May.

Pixelpark is majority owned by German media giant Bertelsmann, and has

clients including Deutsche Telekom, Adidas and Siemens.

Western International Media has outsourced its new media buying and

reporting to I-Level, the recently formed dedicated online media outfit.

Western will continue to manage online planning. I-Level has already

announced a deal to manage online advertising for Yell, the online

version of Yellow Pages.

Tempo, the high street electronics chain, has announced plans to launch

a free internet access service. Dubbed Screaming.net, it will offer free

time online via a tie-up with low-cost call operator, Localtel. Tempo

says it will also feature free off-peak calls to the internet, although

technical support calls will still be charged at 50p per minute.

Virgin Net claimed this week that it now has around 800,000 unique

users.

The announcement follows the internet service provider’s decision to

operate as a free service from May this year.

The New Media Page is edited by Ben Rosier. E-mail

ben.rosier@haynet.com.

This article was first published on Marketing