• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, June 23, 2008

Invision Inc., a supplier of network integrated media ad sales software, today is expected to announce its entrance into the burgeoning online ad auction marketplace.

Invision's DealMaker software--which aids in deal management, inventory control, pricing optimization, compliance, operational CRM analytics, business intelligence reporting and real-time delivery monitoring--has now been adapted to provide a cross-platform sales management tool for publishers and agencies.

"The agencies are forming these cross-platform groups, but there is not technology to support them," said Christine Watkins, CEO of Invision. "The advertiser and agency customers of our clients are demanding simplifications to the cross-platform processes such as a single media plan and a single invoice for each individual cross-media deal."

To run its online and cross-platform operations, InVision has hired Michael Stoeckel, a cross-platform ad operations veteran, as its vice president of digital products.

"Our goal is to not only become the leading provider of advertising sales solutions among Web sites, but to also provide customers with single-screen executions for cross-platform ad deals combining elements of linear television with video-on-demand, Web site banners, broadband video and other interactive inventory," Stoeckel said.

Since 2005, Stoeckel served as VP of advertising innovations and operations for News Corp.'s Fox Interactive Media, where he focused on sales management systems, strategic planning and research and development for ads sold in conjunction with FIM properties such as MySpace, IGN, AmericanIdol.com, Fox.com and FoxSports.com.

Since 1993, Invision has developed, installed, and hosted software to support the ad sales processes for television and radio networks, stations and syndicators.

To support its cross-platform initiatives, in March, the privately held company closed $30 million Series A funding led by ABS Capital Partners, CIBC Capital Partners, and ABS Capital's Limited Partner, Piper Jaffray.

Invision clients include BET, Bloomberg, Bravo, CNBC, E Entertainment Television, Gemstar/TV Guide, MSNBC, National Geographic Channel, Sony Pictures Television, Telemundo, Univision, Warner Brothers and The Weather Channel, to name a few.

According to Watkins, Invision is close to signing two major clients for its cross-platform services.

Once those services gain traction, Watkins said the next step for Invision is to launch a cross-platform ad-auction marketplace. "You might have guessed that that's where we're going with this," Watkins said.

In the online realm, Invision's key competitor is Rapt, which offers Web-based "yield-management" software for Web publishers to manage their advertising inventory, and was recently acquired by Microsoft.