Q&A on Claria's new strategy

[getvisible]

JUL. 31 2:56 P.M. ET Some questions and answers about Claria Corp.'s new strategy:

Q. Are pop-up ads going away entirely?

A. No, but Claria says it is scaling back that business and might one day eliminate pop-ups entirely.



Scott Eagle, Claria's director of marketing, says the company has been winding down bundling deals with makers of free software. It recently terminated a deal with Sharman Networks Ltd., makers of the file-sharing software Kazaa. (Sharman officials, though, claim unrelated disputes were involved but refused to elaborate.)
Nonetheless, other distribution deals have yet to expire, and Claria still makes the pop-up-producing software available when downloading its eWallet password-management software.

Q. How will Claria software get distributed now?

A. Claria's software is on some 40 million desktops, but keeping it there is a challenge given anti-spyware programs that identify such software as threats. Since the company's founding in 1998, four times as many copies have been removed or rendered inactive as people get new computers.

To get on more desktops, Claria figures it needs to partner with developers of toolbars and instant-messaging programs as well as with reputable Web sites. But the company has encountered resistance because of the pop-ups, Eagle said.

Claria is thus developing separate software completely free of the pop-up functionality that will enable targeted ads based on users' surfing habits. Claria has yet to finish writing that software, but once it does, it hopes to begin signing distribution deals. A test version is expected later this month.

Q. Are rival adware companies going to follow Claria in moving away from pop-ups?

A. Yes and no. One rival, WhenU.com Inc., isn't scaling back its pop-up ad business, and Chief Executive Bill Day believes pop-ups remain viable if done right. But Day acknowledged plans to expand into traditional ads in the next six months, also using behavioral-targeting technology. He wouldn't provide details.

Q. What's all this talk about Claria? I thought the company is Gator.

A. The company changed its name in 2003 as criticism of its practices mounted. The company claimed the name change was a response to it having significantly broadened its portfolio. The original product, eWallet, continues to bear the Gator name.



Q&A On Claria's New Stragegy

[pricethat]

I think this is more to do with making money from shareholders and buyouts rather than from cleaning up to be nice people. This kind of application was born from people that would do anything and everything to trick, steal and lie online. Who wants to get involved with a company like that, no one, which makes their business worthless in the long run. With the majority of the population who are educated about this type of mess wanting a ban on it and or criminal charges then it will become law, who wants a machine filled with crap when you didnt ask for it (drive by etc). It wont be long before the directors will personally be liable for the actions of these types of company and so they need to look at it.

I personally am still against them, no one lets me be a criminal and steal from merchants and affiliates to create a multi million pound business and then use that money to then make it all clean and legit.

[Rich]

Don't forget 180 Solutions have never shown pop-ups! They just open windows that the users has expressed an interest in being opened (according to them). If Claria are getting rid of pop-ups I'm pretty certain they will be still displaying adverts to users in some way.

[pricethat]

I am just glad that i can put the keywords like claria, 180solutions, gator, metricsdirect and all other words that people might look for and then see these following words.

Theiving bunch of cowboys, who have lied, deceived and cheated to get what they want without exception 100% of the time.

Im all for change but only when companies like this recognise their past and redistributed the illegal and fraudulent earnings they have acquired over the years back to the community in which they stole it from, an apology also might be nice.