Wink Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: WINK) and Liberate Technologies (NASDAQ: LBRT) announced today a multi-year strategic partnering agreement to integrate each other’s products to deliver enhanced TV programming and advertising to consumers. Wink’s response network services and broadcast tool sets will be integrated with Liberate’s client and server software, enabling network operators to access Wink functionality from Liberate platforms. The agreement was announced today by Maggie Wilderotter, President and CEO, Wink Communications, Inc. and Mitchell Kertzman, President and CEO, Liberate Technologies.
“We are very pleased to partner with Liberate to enable impulse e-commerce services on Liberate’s software platform. Liberate is an industry leader in enhanced TV, and was instrumental in the development of the ATVEF standard. Our mutual customers have been very supportive of a joint offering, and we look forward to deploying it together next year,” said Maggie Wilderotter.
“Liberate’s leading platform for enhanced TV software provides network operators with a complete solution our partnership with Wink significantly extends our portfolio of choices to deliver compelling content and services to consumers,” said Mitchell Kertzman. “One-click ordering for impulse e-commerce is an essential element of enhanced TV and Wink has built the leading back end for capturing and processing consumer transactions.”
Under the terms of the agreement, Liberate will offer the Wink impulse response capability as an integrated component of its TV Navigator product line, which is used by leading cable, telco and satellite operators to provide an open standards based platform for enhanced TV services. Wink’s Response Network will provide transaction response routing services for programmers, advertisers, and operators using the Liberate platform. In addition, Wink’s previously announced ATVEF broadcast tool sets will enable broadcast and cable networks, advertisers and operators to create and broadcast ATVEF compliant programming and advertising. The commercial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
