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Optaros worked with King Digital to deliver the solution to TimesUnion.com, theonline news site for The Albany Times Union, in less than eight weeks. Theapplication embeds over 1,800 comic strips within a news Web site, preserving itslook and feel while seamlessly linking back to the King Digital server where theapplication resides. The assembly includes an integrated ad server that allows KingDigital to embed ads within the comics section and the publisher to do the samewithin the frame of their Web site.
Comics Kingdom provides an attractive draw for visitors to our Web site, saidPatti Hart, general manager at TimesUnion.com. The comics are one of the best-readsections of the newspaper and this new content area offers our online readers acolorful, interactive experience that we expect will keep them returning to the site a definite plus for any potential advertiser.
King Digital was launched by King Features Syndicate in October 2007 to bring thecompany s syndicated content to the Web. King Features Syndicate is a print andonline syndication company owned by Hearst Corporation that distributes comics,entertainment and lifestyle columns, editorial cartoons, puzzles and games to morethan 5,000 newspapers around the world.
Comics Kingdom provides our clients with opportunities to syndicate rich userexperiences that combine traditional content with the community capabilities of Web2.0, said John Soppe, managing director of King Digital. Ultimately, theapplication widget helps publishers monetize content, engage readers, improveservice and optimize ad inventory. It provides a critical, revenue-driving businessservice to Web site publishers with minimal resource requirements.
Readers can rate, comment on, create favorites and share comics. Additionally, theycan learn about each comic s creator and its characters. Users can browse theirfavorite comics, navigating through 30 days of archives of more than 60 differentcomic strips. Dynamic design features enhance the user experience with visuallystimulating images, including a navigation bar with comic character artwork and theability to choose an avatar to represent readers posting online comments.
Comics Kingdom marries premium content, unique interface design andrevenue-generating tools that allow online publishers to respond to the businessrequirements demanded today, said Marc Osofsky, vice president of marketing atOptaros. Furthermore, it shifts the power to consumers, allowing them to drive thecomic content that rises to the top. This type of Web 2.0 functionality satisfiesthe comic appetite of online users, driving repeated interactions on a daily basis.
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About King DigitalKing Digital is a premium content and services provider to online publishers and adeveloper of platforms for licensed brands. As a unit of King Features Syndicate,part of Hearst Entertainment & Syndication Group, King Digital provides contentsolutions to publishers that reach over 2.5 M unique visitors per month generating20 M page views through 140-plus online outlets. From comics to lifestyle advice,entertainment and political opinion to cartoons, King Digital offers more than 160branded and packaged content properties to companies that look to retain loyalusers. King Digital enables Web publishers to extend their service and generate adrevenue with minimal resources. For more information about King Digital, go towww.kingfeatures.com/sales/ kol.htm
About OptarosOptaros, an international consulting and systems integration firm, designs andassembles fully supported, Next Gen eration Internet (NGI) solutions that deliversuperior business performance. The unique Optaros Assembly Methodology (OptAM)leverages Open Source, Service Oriented Architectures, rich interface design and aglobal collaborative delivery model to assemble solu tions faster and more flexiblythan traditional build, buy or rent options. Optaros serves over 70 clientsinclud ing ABB, Biogen Idec, Gtech, McKesson, Merck/Serono, New York Times, SonyPictures, Swisscom, and many others. For more about Optaros, go to www.optaros.com.
