Local

A number of items of augmented reality news have come across [itvt]'s desk over the past few days. Here is a brief round-up:

NBC Universal and Microsoft announced an "alliance," Thursday, that will see NBC Universal using Microsoft's Admira television media marketplace to plan and sell national and local broadcast and cable advertising inventory. Microsoft acquired Admira through its purchase, almost exactly a year ago, of interactive TV and advanced advertising technology provider, Navic, which still retains a separate corporate identity within the Microsoft organization.

Boston-based interactive TV advertising specialist, Backchannelmedia, said Monday that its flagship Clickable TV technology has been validated by over-the-air testing and is now in what the company calls "a new commercialization stage." The company also announced that its founder and co-CEO, Michael Kokernak, has resigned his co-CEO position and will now become president of a new unit, called BCM Research, that will "seek to develop the next cycle of major innovation for Backchannelmedia" and that will "be closely networked to ongoing innovations in the digital technology space and will have a long-term horizon" (note: Kokernak will continue to sit on the company's board of directors).

GroupM-backed advanced advertising technology provider, Invidi Technologies, said Wednesday that satellite-TV provider, DirecTV, will use its software to offer advertisers "relevant" local advertising (note: last November, Invidi announced a similar deal with rival satellite-TV provider, DISH Network). According to Invidi, its Advatar software, in combination with DirecTV's DVR-equipped set-top boxes, will allow local television advertising availability based on geographic location, and will position TV ads according to any marketer's specifications.