United News and Media, owner of Express Newspapers, has broken the veil
of secrecy surrounding its involvement in new media projects to reveal
it is involved with 150 new media projects worldwide.
United now has 30 World Wide Web sites. It has produced 12 CD-ROMs this
year and plans to produce a further 16 by the end of the year, most of
which have been produced off the back of its computer magazines.
United director of new media activities Michael Chamberlain said that
this level of activity puts it ahead of rival publishing groups.
United is focusing the bulk of its new media activity on its business
publishing interests, with 77 of the projects based on Miller Freeman
titles.
It launched a new World Wide Web site this week called dotelectronics,
which will provide information from Miller Freeman’s five electronics
magazines, including jobs, news and features.
US press release distribution company PR Newslink, which has a joint
venture agreement with UK press release service Two-Ten Communications,
is also at the centre of a number of new initiatives.
It is currently building a database of electronic images of all car
models that can be downloaded from anywhere in the world.
Ford and Chrysler are already subscribing to the database and United is
currently in talks with other car companies.
Car companies pay a one-off undisclosed fee to PRN for management of the
database. Downloading by the media and other interested parties is free.
Chamberlain said there was no reason why the concept could not be
extended to other sectors.
