Applied Semantics, Inc. launched AdSense, which dynamically generates advertisements comprised of conceptually relevant search terms and pay-for-performance search results targeted to real-time web content viewed by an online user. AdSense is powered by Applied Semantics’ CIRCA technology, a semantic engine that understands and extracts the key concepts on any web page. The foundation of CIRCA rests on the use of an ontology of millions of concepts and relationships between concepts, enabling it to ‘read’ any web page and build a profile of the key meanings on the page. CIRCA makes it possible to match the key concepts on any web page with the most relevant advertiser in real-time. AdSense crawls web pages, determines key meanings represented on the pages and selects the most effective pay-for-performance search terms. AdSense integrates into any online advertising media type and size, replacing existing advertising displays without the need to redesign or reformat web pages. www.appliedsemantics.com
Day: October 20, 2002
Progress Software Corporation and eXcelon Corporation jointly announced they have signed a definitive agreement pursuant to which Progress Software will acquire eXcelon in an all-cash transaction for a purchase price of $3.19 per share or approximately $24 million in the aggregate. The acquisition has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of Progress Software and eXcelon and is subject to the approval of eXcelon’s stockholders. The acquisition is expected to close within 90 days, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions. All of the directors, certain officers and the largest stockholder of eXcelon, holding approximately 9% of eXcelon’s outstanding common stock in the aggregate, have entered into stockholders agreements with PSC agreeing to vote in favor of the merger. www.exln.com, www.progress.com
Percussion Software announced a technology integration partnership with Advanced Software, Inc. (ASI). Percussion will embed ASI’s DocuComp comparison engine into the next release of Rhythmyx Content Manager, expected in early 2003. DocuComp, best known as the popular “compare documents” feature in Microsoft Word, will enable Rhythmyx users to simplify the content review, localization and approval processes involved with authoring and publishing Web content. This will reduce the time needed to process content modifications and approvals as well as improve the workflow efforts of content creation teams. The DocuComp comparison engine uses sophisticated pattern matching techniques to compare any two versions of a file, reporting inserted, deleted, replaced and even moved text. ASI’s DocuComp comparison technology operates in cross-platform application environments and is accessible through a C, C++ or Java application programmer’s interface. Licensees can embed the DocuComp technology into any web-based enterprise application to compare HTML, XML or SGML. www.docucomp.com, www.percussion.com
Adobe Systems Incorporated announced the Adobe Document Server, which enables enterprise customers to automatically generate and customize Adobe PDF files and forms. Adobe Document Server is built for easy integration with existing ERP and CRM systems, Content Management Systems, document management systems, and databases. The software lets companies automate document creation and assembly for technical manuals, brochures, proposals and policies, as well as create custom electronic forms with pre-populated fields, and produce business reports that contain charts and graphs dynamically generated from data in a database. With support for APIs for Java, Perl, COM and Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) environments, programmers can develop scripts for automating the creation of Adobe PDF documents. Adobe Document Server also supports Extensible Style Language Formatting Objects (XSL-FO). Adobe Document Server is expected to be available by the end of 2002, with pricing starting at US$20,000 per CPU. www.adobe.com/products/server/documentserver/main.html
