Tokyo, August 23, 2021 – D.A.Consortium Inc. (DAC) and IBM Japan, Ltd. (IBM Japan) are pleased to announce that on August 12, 2021, they concluded an agreement to collaborate in marketing a mission critical business management solution Arc XP in Japan with the aim of driving digital transformation of the telecommunications and media sector. Developed by the Washington Post (WP), Arc XP is a SaaS platform that centrally manages a company’s digital assets to power digital transformation. DAC has been promoting market expansion of Arc XP in Japan as an exclusive partner of WP. With this collaboration, DAC and IBM aim to seamlessly provide one-stop services to primarily media industry companies, from consultation and systems development to orchestration with existing systems, migration to existing assets, workflow arrangement, and change management and operation support.

■Schematic image of Arc XP adoption 　

■Background
Digital shift is a pressing issue in the Japanese telecommunications and media sector with drastic changes in the environment, such as a declining birthrate, an aging population and young people’s lack of interest in existing media. Information is regarded as the fourth management resource, following people, goods, and money. Companies are realizing the importance of information distribution and the establishment of a distribution platform as a multi-channel means to acquire a new customer base and create new profit opportunities. With corporate digital transformation accelerating in recent years, media companies such as newspapers, TV stations, and publishers, which handle a lot of information, are being required to build optimal and efficient platforms that digitalize their infrastructures and workflow while maintaining connectivity with current systems.

■Overview of Arc XP
Arc XP is a SaaS platform developed by WP as a solution for mission critical business management that powers more than 1,500 websites across 24 countries. Arc XP was initially developed for WP, but after WP was acquired by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in 2013, development of the platform was accelerated and offered to other companies. Consequently, many media saw their subscriber base increase and were able to monetize video clips and digital advertising, which contributed significantly to higher revenues through the first digital transformation. This achievement was recognized around the world and currently, the platform is now used not only by US TV stations, newspapers, and magazine publishers but also by websites and apps in Europe and elsewhere.

Arc XP enables media companies to centrally manage necessary tasks ranging from content drafting to photo and video content management, and work schedule management including proofreading and review, regardless of time or place. With this solution, media companies can align paper and digital content, realize real-time journalism, and build flexible advertisement or subscription-based revenue models tailored to users. It features numerous functions for corporate digital transformation, such as improving work efficiency of reporters and editors, promoting the speed and accuracy of task management, and proposing new workstyles. With the increased demand for solutions that promote digital transformation in other business sectors, Arc XP is now being used as a platform to centrally manage a company’s digital assets regardless of business type (*).

■Collaboration Value
IBM Japan will utilize the knowledge, extensive systems building know-how, and technical expertise of its experienced consultants in the telecommunications and media sector to help companies implement Arc XP. For companies in the media sector in particular, IBM Japan will help orchestrate existing systems with Arc XP, migrate existing assets, reorganize workflow, and provide change management and operational support.

With this collaboration as Arc XP integration partners, DAC and IBM Japan will share the value provided by Arc XP to accelerate digital content creation and distribution and improve business processes. Working together with customers, we will drive business growth, improve business operations, and advance digital transformation of the telecommunications and media sectors.

(*)
News release of February 13, 2019：DAC and The Washington Post partner to make Arc Publishing available in Japan　https://www.dac.co.jp/english/press/2019/20190213_arcpublishing
News release of July 30, 2020：DAC begins offering a livestreaming function for Washington Post’s Arc Publishing https://www.dac.co.jp/press/2020/20200730_arc_broadcast　(Japanese)
News release of June 3, 2020：Washington Post’s Arc Publishing rebrands as Arc XP – offered by DAC to Japanese companies to promote DX https://www.dac.co.jp/english/press/2021/20210603_arcxp

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<Company Profile>

■ D.A.Consortium Inc. https://www.dac.co.jp

Since its establishment in 1996 during the early days of online advertising, D.A.Consortium Inc. (DAC) is leading the industry in market formation and growth as it steadily expands its operations with the digital transformation of information and lifestyles.
Currently, DAC operates advertising and marketing businesses centered on digital technology both in Japan and overseas. The company provides comprehensive support, from consulting and planning to ad space purchasing, selling, management and results analysis. With a firm understanding of the characteristics of different media, DAC also produces creative, develops and provides solutions that bridge its wealth of data with advanced technologies, and supports global promotional initiatives.
With the mission, “Empowering the digital future”, DAC will continue to be at the forefront in creating new forms of advertising and marketing and new value to society.

President & CEO	：Masaya Shimada
Head Office	：Yebisu Garden Place Tower, 4-20-3 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Established	：December 1996
Business	：Online Media Transaction Related Business, Solution Service, Ad Operations Business

■ IBM Japan, Ltd. https://www.ibm.com/jp-ja

General Manager	：Akio Yamaguchi
Head Office	：19-21, Nihonbashi Hakozaki-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Established	：June 1937
Business	：Offering products and services of communications systems

IBM, the IBM logo, and ibm.com® are trademarks or registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corp., registered in many jurisdictions worldwide. Other product and service names might be trademarks of IBM or other companies. A current list of IBM trademarks is available on the web at Copyright and trademark information at https://www.ibm.com/legal/copytrade.shtml(US).

For inquiries regarding this News Release

D.A.Consortium Inc.
Corporate Strategy Group Public Relations/E-mail: ir_inf@dac.co.jp

IBM Japan, Ltd.
Ichinose, Communications/E-mail: PRESSREL@jp.ibm.com