ROCHESTER, N.Y., April 9 -- Kodak has signed an agreement with Advanced Technical Solutions Inc. (ATS) to jointly sell and support a new KODAK Microzone Publishing Solution that will significantly expand the opportunities for newspapers to serve both readers and advertisers. This solution creates growth opportunities for newspapers, enabling them to develop new products and revenue streams, as they compete in a changing media environment. “Newspapers are seeing a shift in demand for more local news and are facing increased competition for advertising dollars. The KODAK Microzone Publishing Solution leverages the strength of the Internet and the growth in citizen journalism to develop entirely new branded products delivered both as traditional printed newspapers as well as online,” said Ken Swanson, Director, Business Development, Kodak’s Graphic Communications Group. “Microzone publications allow newspapers to develop very narrowly focused printed products that appeal directly to neighborhoods or special consumer interests in a scalable, economical and effective manner. This opens new revenue streams for newspapers that do not cannibalize the existing products that they sell.” Using a platform developed by ATS, based in Acton, Mass., the KODAK Microzone Publishing Solution includes the KODAK Microzone Citizen Journalism Portal, KODAK Microzone Advertising Portal and KODAK Microzone Publishing Management System. The KODAK Microzone Publishing Solution will be demonstrated at NEXPO in the Kodak booth #2101 and the ATS booth #2115. Chicago Tribune is the first newspaper in the country to use the KODAK Microzone Publishing Solution. In March, Chicago Tribune began using the KODAK solution to create branded TribLocal websites and microzone print products for readers and advertisers in the Chicago area. “The world is changing. Instead of publishers offering a one way download of information to consumers, newspapers need to provide two way communications. People are going to ask for what they want, and we need to deliver it in order to stay relevant, both in print and on the web. We expect the KODAK Microzone Publishing Solution to do just that, and to be an engine for growth for the Chicago Tribune,” said Ted Biedron, President of Chicagoland Publishing Co., a Chicago Tribune subsidiary. “The KODAK Microzone Publishing Solution provides a way for readers and advertisers to intuitively communicate with each other and with us. From a print publishing standpoint, the solution provides an efficient, scalable way to handle the content that is provided by and for the community. It also enables us to leverage our existing distribution system.” Typical microzones consist of 5,000 to 10,000 households. The newly created print publications and websites allow local businesses and organizations to reach core audiences in a much more targeted fashion with news and advertising messages. “We decided to partner with Kodak because they view newspapers as a core strategic segment in their business and we wanted to work with a company that is committed to serving the changing needs of this industry,” said David Monks, Business Development, ATS New Media Group. “The KODAK Microzone Publishing Solution enables the economical production of targeted microzone newspapers that serve the unique needs of ‘very local’ community markets. This opens a variety of options important to the growth of newspapers.” The KODAK Microzone Publishing Solution consists of three products that can be used as an integrated unit or function independently. The KODAK Microzone Citizen Journalism Portal allows local citizen journalists to submit stories, photographs and community event listings for use in print and online products. The KODAK Microzone Advertising Portal enables advertisers to create and place ads, as well as manage and store the ads they create, and pay for the media space using a secure credit card system. The KODAK Microzone Publishing Management System enables newspaper publishers to assemble content, edit copy, format pages, and publish output for print and online versions. “The beauty of the KODAK Microzone Publishing Solution is that it is scaleable, and it allows newspapers to get much closer to their readers and advertisers, while at the same time automating much of the work required to produce a number of highly targeted editions,” said Swanson. “News content can be ranked and selected by various ranking criteria and prescreened using keywords and phrases.” KODAK products are backed by KODAK Service and Support. Named Best Support Organization at the 2006 International Business Awards, KODAK Service and Support includes more than 3,000 professionals in 120 countries. These professionals are fully qualified to help customers control costs, maximize productivity, and minimize business risk.