IP Geolocation Data Provider Continues to Lead Industry by Delivering the Most Unique Locations in the Global Marketplace
ATLANTA – Digital Element, the Atlanta-based technology company that pioneered and revolutionized the geolocation and IP intelligence industry, is celebrating 20 years of successfully helping companies around the world more precisely target and reach online and mobile users in more meaningful, relevant and non-invasive ways.
“When you consider that the majority of start-ups don’t make it past their fifth year and the average lifespan of an S&P 500 company is now less than 18 years, I feel very proud about the path we’ve chosen in terms of the evolution of our solutions,” said Rob Friedman, co-founder and executive vice president at Digital Element. “Our geolocation and IP intelligence solutions were engineered in Atlanta―before the city became a world-renowned technology hub. Our company was one of the few that came out of the dot-com bust relatively unscathed. And, we were making privacy-sensitive data available to companies before it became such an important factor in interacting with digital consumers in more socially responsible and respectful ways.”
Digital Element first introduced its NetAcuity® technology, which allows users to be geographically targeted by IP address, to the online market in 1999 and has driven its evolution ever since. Initially focused on solutions for online advertising, the company quickly brought to market data that enables much-needed applications for localized content, enhanced analytics, fraud detection and prevention, digital rights management, mobile-user targeting, and more. Since 1999, Digital Element has realized two decades of year-on-year growth.
Digital Element’s data is used by many of world’s most recognizable brands, among them Facebook, Hubspot, eBay, Netflix, Pinterest, Twitter, BBC, Sony, Hulu, Adobe, Intuit, and hundreds more.
Providing 10 Times More Unique Locations
Since 1999, Digital Element has continued to make substantial investments in diverse data sourcing (infrastructure, GPS, Wi-Fi triangulation, etc.); tested data-science strategies; technological innovations; and an extensive network of partners. As a result, the company has reached an important data-quality milestone: the ability to deliver 10 times more unique global locations than its nearest competitor (2 million versus 200,000). This gives websites, brands, security companies, ad networks, social media platforms, mobile publishers and broadcasters more pinpointed locations to precisely target online users.
“All of our research and development has paid off exponentially,” said Friedman. “We can now pinpoint more locations with a higher order of magnitude than any competitor. Inferior geolocation data solutions are rendered nearly unusable in a world that requires high levels of accuracy and depth for today’s business applications. In the long run, the refusal to invest in proven solutions will cost companies more than they’ll save.”
Two Decades of Corporate Milestones
Significant corporate milestones that have contributed to Digital Element’s success include:
1999: First introduced NetAcuity and pioneered the “geo-intelligence” or “geo-location” space
2001: Introduced new databases, including connection speed, domain name, ISP, language and other characteristics about online users
2002: Named Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum (and in 2003)
2004: Issued patent for technology based on identifying location of Internet users to the city level utilizing IP addresses
2005: Parent company Digital Envoy creates two business units: Digital Element and Digital Resolve
2007: Acquired by Landmark Communications, Inc.
2008: Keynote Assessment provided third-party validation for accuracy of location data and collection methods
2009: Introduced NetAcuity Edge, the first validated, global, partner-contributed geographic ZIP code and postcode level data
2010: Opened first European office in London and expanded international sales team
2011: Introduced IPv6 geographic database to address accessibility issues
2012: Launched NetAcuity Developer’s Edition for evaluation, small deployments and developmental purposes
2013: Received accreditation for the geographic location identifications reported by its NetAcuity platform from the Media Rating Council (MRC); and issued patent for hyperlocal geolocation technology
2014: Introduced NetAcuity Pulse, the industry’s first mobile-centric IP targeting solution
2015: Launched GeoMprint, a new reverse geocoding solution
2016: Received a GLOBE (Georgia Launching Opportunities by Exporting) Award from The International Trade Division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development for expansion into Brazil; and became the only provide to offer a ZIP+4 IP-based targeting solution
2018: Introduced industry’s first IP-to-Point-of-Interest (POI) database; and awarded MarTech Breakthrough Award for Best Geolocation Platform
Companies around the world are deploying Digital Element’s solutions across a number of industries including publishing and advertising; retail; gaming and gambling; hospitality and travel; financial services; consumer brands; technology and software; and government.
About Digital Element
Since 1999, Digital Element has been providing global geolocation data and services that bring anytime, anywhere relevance and context to online initiatives—from desktops to mobile devices. The company’s patented technology has been certified and accredited to deliver real-time access to accurate and reliable location intelligence without invading Internet users’ privacy. For two decades, many of the world’s largest websites, brands, security companies, ad networks, social media platforms and mobile publishers have trusted Digital Element’s technology to target advertising, localize content, enhance analytics, and manage content rights as well as detect and prevent fraud. Visit www.digitalelement.com for more information on how to bring the power of location to the online world. Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter @DigitalElement then like us on Facebook. Headquartered in Atlanta and London, Digital Element is a division of Digital Envoy Inc.
