16 JUNE 2004 -- MARINA DEL REY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A. — A behind-the-scenes revolution in the way advertisements are placed, circulated and paid for is occurring, worldwide. Ad industry executives will hear the details today at a luncheon hosted by the AdsML Consortium, developers of the new standard, in conjunction with AdStar, Inc., a leading provider of e-commerce transaction software and services for the advertising and publishing industries. The new, non-proprietary AdsML standard enables advertisements to be easily reformatted for use across multiple media — locally, regionally and globally. Defined using XML, the de facto basis for new standards governing exchange of information over the internet, AdsML brings closer the vision of “plug ‘n play” e-commerce for advertising - across systems and between business partners. Three Standards Bodies to Join in AdsML Effort. Guests at the luncheon will learn what the AdsML Standard has achieved to date, what capabilities are now being developed and what to expect in the future. Key players in the development of the specification will speak about technical developments now underway to automate the processing of classified ads and to facilitate cross-media advertising. In addition, the recent agreement of three major standards bodies to merge their ad booking capabilities into the AdsML Standard will be explained. Pilot implementations using AdsML 1.0 planned or in progress also will be highlighted. AdsML 1.0, the first release of the standard, was published in October 2003. Speakers include Leslie Bernhard, president, AdStar Inc., U.S.A.; John Iobst, vice president, NAA/Ifra Technical Solutions, U.S.A.; Allan Marshall, CTO, Associated Newspapers, U.K.; and Tony Stewart, chair, AdsML Consortium Technical Working Group and director of consulting, RivCom, U.K. “Our goal for this project is simple,” says Stewart. “We want to make the advertising booking process seamless, efficient and less costly.” Ultimately, the AdsML Standard will govern all aspects of an advertisement’s life cycle — from placement to publication and payment — for all types of ads, including print, Internet, broadcast, kiosks, billboards and ads in movie theaters.