MediaMap's Performa Analytics First to Provide Real-Time Measurement of Corporate Reputation; Solution Based on Partner Cymfony's Advanced Natural Language Processing Engine

Business Wire, Jan 27, 2003

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

WATERTOWN, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 27, 2003

MediaMap, the industry leader in delivering Communications Management (CM) solutions to public relations agencies and corporate communications departments, today announced a tight partnership with Cymfony, a 7-year-old software and services company, whose technology is powering MediaMap Performa Analytics(TM). The partnership creates the industry's most advanced and comprehensive media management and analysis tool, and is the first solution to allow communications professionals to measure message adoption and media perception in real time.

MediaMap Performa(TM) is a Web-based application that allows companies to manage a media campaign from relationship management to message distribution and measurement and analysis. Unlike technologies that simply perform key word searching, Cymfony's advanced natural language processing engine allows Performa Analytics to scan and analyze volumes of unstructured data to identify important entities, concepts, relationships and events. It determines who and what is being talked about, and how the various entities relate to one another. The engine is also the most flexible in the industry, allowing companies to add new competitors and brands for monitoring as the market shifts. All information is presented in easy-to-read online reports, in real time. With Performa Analytics, companies can also:

-- Track specific media and campaign messages across more than 8,000 print, Internet and broadcast media sources

-- Monitor which key journalists are writing about a company and its competitors

-- Instantly analyze media coverage and trends across media types

-- Gain immediate feedback on the effectiveness and momentum of campaigns in progress

-- Quantify the impact of communications strategies

-- Monitor corporate reputation and brand awareness

-- Analyze new brands and messages with the click of a mouse

"Today's CEO requires hard evidence that their communications strategies are working and adding value to the corporation," said Andrew Bernstein, CEO, Cymfony, Inc. "Our technology puts that evidence into the hands of communications professionals. As we look to make our technology the measurement engine of choice across the industry, it made perfect sense to partner with the company that continues to lead the market - MediaMap."

Added Ruth Habbe, executive vice president, MediaMap, "We sought a partner whose technology would provide our customers with the most advanced analytics in an easy to use format, all at a reasonable price. With Cymfony, our customers are not only able to manage their media relationships, they can also instantly assess the impact of their campaigns, the state of the competition and the strength of their corporate reputation - all in real time."

Liberty Mutual is a long-time MediaMap customer who has been using Cymfony's analytics engine to measure their communications programs. "Embracing measurement is a crucial part of our communications initiatives," said John Cusolito, vice president and manager, external relations, Liberty Mutual Group. "Cymfony's analytics engine helps us to better answer key questions about the success of our communications campaigns, messaging strategies and overall brand reputation in real time."

About Cymfony

Founded in 1996, Cymfony is comprised of an international team of leading experts in natural language processing, information extraction and retrieval and machine learning technologies. For the past seven years, Cymfony's InfoXtract technology has been one of the leading advanced information extraction and analysis solutions for United States government and intelligence agencies. The InfoXtract technology is now commercially available to communications professionals through Brand Dashboard, a media and brand intelligence software application. For more information or to schedule a Brand Dashboard demonstration, contact Cymfony at (617) 630-9114 ext. 2. Visit Cymfony on the Web at www.cymfony.com.

About MediaMap

MediaMap delivers innovative Communications Management solutions to public relations agencies and corporate communications departments worldwide. Its products and services enable communications professionals to centralize information resources, manage key relationships, ensure targeted message delivery, and measure performance. More than 25,000 communications professionals at some of the world's best known corporations, and 95 percent of the top public relations agencies, use MediaMap solutions. Founded in 1986, MediaMap is headquartered in Watertown, Mass. For more information, visit www.mediamap.com.