JICIMS forms new body for online measurement

The former Joint Industry Committee for Internet Measurement Systems (JICIMS) has formed a new body called the UK Online Measurement company (UKOM).

The joint committee collapsed last week following the departure of the IPA and ISBA as JICIMS stakeholders, leaving the remaining partners – AOP and IAB – to form a new body (see JICIMS to restructure after ISBA and IPA withdraw support).

ISBA and the IPA resigned from JICIMS after being unable to commit to the three years of funding that a full JIC model would require, which was estimated to be around £15 million.

At the time, a statement said: “JICIMS Ltd will be renamed ready to continue with the process of moving to a unified online planning currency in the New Year.”

UKOM today confirmed its plans to deliver an industry-approved online planning currency and go to market with a revised tender during Q1 2009.

Guy Phillipson, chief executive of the IAB, said: “All the important technical groundwork has been done, and we’re confident UKOM can move quickly to deliver the online planning currency advertisers and agencies have been waiting for.”

Peter Bowman, general manager of UKOM, added: “We can’t lose sight of the fact that this medium will benefit from agreed planning data. After so much emphasis on structure and funding, we can get down to the important business of supplying that data.”

The new body will aim to ensure that the new solution will be compatible with the online population survey that JICIMS launched in 2006.

JICIMS: www.jicims.org.uk