ATG Adds Click-to-Call to Video Ads

Wade Roush11/18/08

Back in 2006, Cambridge, MA-based Art Technology Group (NASDAQ: ARTG) spent north of $48 million in cash and stock to acquire eStara, a maker of software that allows Web surfers to open voice-over-Internet connections with sales agents by clicking on Internet ads. Yesterday the company announced that it’s extending eStara’s capabilities to Flash-based video ads. “While consumers are more comfortable watching video clips online now than ever before, direct-response advertisers—many of whom are small, local businesses—have struggled to find a video advertising model that is cost-effective and measurable,” said Ruth Habbe, vice president of ATG’s eStara Business Group, said in a statement. “eStara Video Connect solves this problem by making video ads actionable, and by giving media companies a rich tool for tracking consumer actions and leads generated from each and every video ad.”

Wade Roush is Xconomy's chief correspondent and editor of Xconomy San Francisco. You can subscribe to his Google Group or e-mail him at wroush@xconomy.com. Follow @