IBM and IDG Sign 80+ Site Advertising Pact

Boston-based media, research, and exposition company International Data Group signed a global, one-year Web advertising agreement with IBM through its advertising agency, Ogilvy & Mather.

The agreement is the largest contract booked to date through IDG.net, and has “the broadest geographic reach of any contract signed for Web media,” IDG said.

The agreement covers more than 80 Web sites in 34 countries in North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. Spending details were not disclosed.

IDG said that IBM will reach computer professionals who are using Web sites produced locally, covering markets in native languages, with news and reviews targeted towards local products and operating environments.

Laurie Morgan, publisher of IDG.net, said: “Technology decisions require local information. IDG’s 210 individual, locally managed Web sites provide the credible, relevant news and product information that technology decision-makers rely on–and, consequently are highly effective vehicles for advertising technology products.”

“This program offers us an efficient way of communicating with key decision makers throughout the world,” said J. Kosanke, IBM worldwide director of media operations. “But more importantly, we can customize our communication to take advantage of the local content and language, and IDG is able to provide us with the measurement and accountability we require.”

The online ad agreement is the second component of a partnership between the two companies. Earlier this year, IDG and IBM announced that IBM would sponsor Computerworld’s Global Innovators series in 15 countries.

IDG.net is a network of technology-specific sites featuring over 200 IDG Web sites in 52 countries, including the Computerworld, InfoWorld, Network World, and PC World product families.

IDG publishes more than 285 computer newspapers and magazines and 500 book titles in 75 countries, led by the Channel World, Computerworld/InfoWorld, Macworld, Network World, PC World and the ” . . . For Dummies” global product lines. The company also produces 110 computer-related expositions in 35 countries.