Advertising on New Media

The French subsidiary of Condé Nast S.A., one of the world's largest private communications groups (Advance Magazine Publishers Inc.), has selected Ingres, the leading open source database management company and pioneer of The New Economics of IT, to develop a critical application to manage advertising space for its publications.

Condé Nast Publications is home to many of the world’s celebrated magazines and websites and is committed to journalistic integrity, influential reporters, and superior design. Just a few of the publication titles within the Condé Nast family published worldwide include Vogue, Glamour, The New Yorker, Details, GQ, Vanity Fair, Wired, and Golf Digest. Condé Nast France relies on Ingres Database, the leading open source database for business critical applications, for its advertising space management system. The system helps the French subsidiary of Condé Nast Publications develop the rates it charges advertisers and is a key component in the revenue generation stream.

“We selected Ingres to build the advertising management application for all of the group’s magazines in France. This is a strategic application in our industry, for it manages most of our revenue,” said Jean-Luc Bernard, CIO, Condé Nast, France.

At the time of selection, Condé Nast France was comparing Ingres and Oracle.

“We selected Ingres and it has made a difference with its solid engine and powerful database administration and development tools,” said Bernard.

The technical platform is based on Unix-based Sun systems and currently runs Sun / Solaris to manage this strategic application for the group. It was initially written in "C" with embedded SQL and Report Writer. The latest version uses Windev in client/server mode and is connected using Ingres ODBC drivers. The Ingres Database engine combined with a development layer (ABF, Vifred, Report Writer, Ingres 4GL, etc.) was a key factor in Condé Nast choosing the open source solution.

“Ingres has evolved to address our different requirements for satellite products, such as changing our accounting and financial ERP,” said Bernard. “We really appreciate the open source model, as it allows us to plan new projects with confidence, in particular the overhaul of our application for the sale of magazines per issue. We are in a very competitive industry, and the current economic slowdown amplifies the phenomenon. Being able to continue enhancing the tools supporting our business is vital for keeping us in the race and ensuring our growth.”

“This type of project illustrates the value of the New Economics of IT as more and more companies look for ways to innovate without paying unnecessary license fees,” said Eric Soares, vice president of SEMEA at Ingres. “The open source model adds value both through innovation and through the economic viability of projects. Every organization, large or small, may consider an open source solution to keep projects advancing so when the economy turns the business will be positioned to thrive.”