Associated Press Expands Software License with InfoDesk, a Developer of Real-Time Content Distribution Technology

Business Wire, Jan 7, 2003

Business Editors

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 7, 2003

The Associated Press announced today that it has finalized an expanded license agreement with InfoDesk, a developer of real-time content distribution technology.

The expanded license enables the news cooperative to use InfoDesk's software to provide non-AP, third-party content to its members and customers.

Under its original agreement with InfoDesk, AP was able to use the content management and delivery tools developed by InfoDesk, specifically InfoViewer and InfoClient, to deliver AP branded content. The new agreement enables AP to distribute any third-party, non-AP content in any fashion.

As a result of the expanded license agreement, AP Telecommunications, a commercial division of AP that distributes third-party content such as press release wires and trade journal articles via satellite to AP member newspapers as well as non-member customers, will now be able to offer this new Internet-based delivery option. While Internet delivery will not necessarily replace satellite delivery, its expanded relationship with InfoDesk will allow AP to make this alternative delivery method available to its customers.

AP Digital and AP Information Services, both commercial AP divisions, will also expand the use of InfoDesk applications to provide both AP and non-AP originated content to customer Web sites and other interactive applications.

"We will now be able to offer our members and customers more content solutions and comprehensive use of this software as a result of our expanded license agreement with InfoDesk," said John Reid, Vice President of Technology of the Associated Press. "InfoViewer makes it easy to deliver streaming content, in real time, to internal users who can now access and display AP and third party content feeds simultaneously on their desktops. InfoClient and its related components enable subscribing Web sites, intranets and extranets to access that same content and also provide the capability to publish it on the fly."

"We are pleased to expand our relationship with The Associated Press and look forward to working with the AP to further enhance the product," said Sterling Stites, President and CEO of InfoDesk. "Our applications provide the flexibility to deliver content from multiple sources in any fashion and format."

InfoDesk's solutions include InfoViewer for streaming desktop news delivery, and InfoClient for publishing customized multimedia Web pages. The companies plan to announce more enhanced features to these applications later this year.

About The Associated Press

The Associated Press, founded in 1848, is the world's oldest and largest newsgathering organization, providing news content as text, audio, video, graphics and photos to more than 15,000 news outlets with a daily reach of more than 1 billion people worldwide. AP's multimedia services are distributed by satellite and the Internet to more than 120 nations. For more information about AP Telecommunications, visit http://www.ap.org/apt/, about AP Digital, visit http://www.apdigitalnews.com, and about AP Information Services, visit http://www.apnews.com. For more information about The Associated Press, visit http://www.ap.org.

About InfoDesk

InfoDesk, Inc. (www.idsk.com) is a leading provider of real-time, digital content distribution services and technology to publishers and corporations. The company's technology enables real-time distribution, over IP networks, of text, photographs, audio and video to a comprehensive range of devices and applications including desktops, enterprise applications and mobile devices, and automates multi-media publishing to Web sites. The company's technology supports popular XML standards and provides full support for older news wire standards including ANPA. InfoDesk's tools enable publishers to quickly customize and target content products to meet market and customer needs, and enables end-users to filter real-time content and search for historical content.