AdFast Hits Four Million

The four millionth file to be sent via AdFast passed through the Newspaper Society’s internet artwork delivery system on Friday 9 March. The ad was sent by agency Adzone to the Preston/Leyland Citizen and was for a Volkswagen dealer.

It is only 10 months since Adfast racked up its three millionth file in April 2006. The system, the biggest in the UK, currently handles over 5,000 files a day.

In response to feedback from ad agencies, publishers and other customers, AdFast is introducing a number of changes in 2007. The network and hardware will be upgraded to provide a higher quality service, unparalleled resilience and greater capacity. All files will be archived and kept online for six months.

AdFast messages will be changed to AdsML to improve the structured flow of information between client and publisher. And there will be more voices at the support desk in AdFast’s UK-based call centre.

From 1 July, it will cost 50p + VAT to send a file via AdFast. The publisher receiving the file will pay a similar amount.

More than 2,400 artwork-creating agencies and other customers use AdFast every month to send artwork files to almost 1,500 newspapers and magazines.

AdFast was launched by the NS in 2000 to streamline artwork delivery and provide a single point of access to the regional newspaper industry. A number of national newspapers and magazine publishers also subscribe, including the Financial Times, Associated’s Daily Mail stable and AutoTrader group.

It includes a delivery mechanism and an integrated online title and specifications database. The system addresses many of the problems surrounding digital artwork file delivery, such as locating the information required to contact the titles and providing the necessary information to allow senders to ensure that files, once delivered, are usable by the recipient.

Before the launch of AdFast, agencies would send artwork to newspapers by ISDN, disk or bromide. AdFast, which won the Commercial Initiative Award at the Trade Association Forum's Best Practice Awards in 2003, uses industry standard software to create and transmit files, quickly, easily and efficiently.

For more information please contact Rob Fogwill.