ADITION technologies AG Press: Pressemitteilungen: United Internet acquires stake in virtual minds and adserving specialists ADITION
United Internet acquires stake in virtual minds and adserving specialists ADITION
Duesseldorf, February 14, 2008. United Internet AG has acquired a 48.65% stake in virtual minds AG (Freiburg im Breisgau), a media holding company specializing in technology, media and content/entertainment, as well as its subsidiary the adserving specialist ADITION technologies AG.
Apart from ADITION, the profitably operating virtual minds holding company owns a number of majority shareholdings, such as the data center operator myloc, the advertising platform BannerCommunity, the fiber optic network operator fibre one networks and the games portal gamed.de. The management team, consisting of Andreas Kleiser, Torsten Wenniges and Christoph Herrnkind, will continue to be responsible for the operating business of the holding company and its subsidiaries.
ADITION technologies AG is the third-largest adserving supplier on the German online market, after Doubleclick and Ad Tech. ADITION's customers include Deutsche Bahn (DB), Tagesspiegel Online and Tipp24.de. United Internet's strategic investment is aimed at securing the continued independence and competitive neutrality of ADITION via a minority holding. ADITION's role as a neutral service provider is to be strengthened following the takeover of Doubleclick by Google (subject in Europe to a decision by the EU Commission's anti-trust authority) and Ad Tech by AOL and their integration into the companies' respective marketing systems.
"Adserving is one of the core technologies and one of the most data-sensitive areas in the growing digital advertising market. The ongoing concentration process in the field of technology and data is creating a restrictive competitive situation due to the market power of the major global providers - not least due to the planned takeover of the former neutral provider Doubleclick by Google, a move which is highly questionable with regard to anti-trust and data protection legislation. It is essential for an open, functioning and independent digital media market in Germany and Europe that we preserve and strengthen the position of neutral service providers," explains Matthias Ehrlich, Board Member of United Internet Media AG, the marketing specialist for all portals belonging to United Internet Group companies.
Andreas Kleiser, Board Member of virtual minds AG, adds: "United Internet's investment secures the independence and scalability of ADITION so that we can offer attractive technology and product alternatives to Doubleclick and AdTech to an even wider customer base in future. In this way, ADITION can continue as a neutral adserving provider and establish itself as a relevant player also in new, and above all international market segments. This will also benefit the entire adserving market and the digital advertising market as a whole."
