MAM
Instream largest video ad inventory on the net
MUMBAI: US video ad network Instream has announced that it has emerged from its Beta period as one of the largest sources of managed video advertising inventory on the Internet.
Instream president and CEO Tom MacIsaac says, “Some have said there is a shortage of quality in-stream video ad inventory on the Internet — the truth is there is a shortage of quality managed video ad inventory. Instream aggregates high quality Internet video sites onto the leading video advertising technology platform, forming a new, high quality, high reach, single source for brand advertisers embracing video advertising. We believe that, after the major portals, Instream is the single biggest source of managed video ad inventory on the Internet.”
The company says that when advertisers venture beyond the few places with sophisticated in-stream video ad management capabilities, such as the major portals and a handful of other leading video internet sites, they have little control over the delivery of their ad campaigns in terms of targetting, frequency capping, session management, ad unit standardisation (such as a synchronised IAB banner) and other requirements.The reporting they receive back is equally limited.
Advertisers who buy the Instream network can receive not only state- of-the-art ad delivery but also get consolidated, rolled up reporting including the enhanced reporting requirements emerging for Internet video such as closed loop auditing and per cent-of-ad-played reporting.
Instream says that it is able to deliver such highly managed inventory because its technology platform is built on the best-of-breed Lightningcast video advertising platform, which is also used by AOL, Microsoft, ABC News, Scripps Networks, A&E Networks, The Employment and Career Channel and others.
As a result, Instream has the opportunity to leverage the Lightningcast network to provide remnant inventory sales for Lightningcast technology customers.This platform also enables dynamic ad insertion into live streams and downloaded content as well as on-demand streams.
Instream claims to have experienced strong demand from publishers and advertisers. Since the launch of the Publisher Beta in July, Instream has been delivering more than 100 million video streams per month and anticipates total monthly volume of more than 500 million monthly streams by early 2006.
Since the launch of the Advertiser Beta in September, Instream claims to have been embraced by major brand advertisers, and has more than a dozen other advertiser campaigns planned for Q4 2005 and 2006.
Carat Fusion media supervisor Christine Peterson said, “Video advertising has become an important part of our clients’ digital media strategy. We are excited about the growth in high quality managed video advertising inventory such as that amassed by Instream”.
Brands
AI becomes key tool for Indian travellers, Agoda report finds
68 per cent plan to use AI for trips as 33 per cent already rely on it.
MUMBAI: Holiday planning is getting a software upgrade less “Where should we go?” and more “What does the algorithm say?” Indian travellers are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence to map their journeys, with new data from Agoda’s 2026 Travel Outlook Report suggesting that AI is fast becoming central to how trips are imagined, planned and booked.
While 33 per cent of respondents said they already use AI tools for travel planning, a far larger 68 per cent indicated they are likely to rely on it for their next trip pointing to a sharp acceleration in adoption in a market already comfortable with digital-first travel.
What travellers want from AI, however, goes well beyond basic search. The report shows 38 per cent are looking for recommendations on local attractions and activities, while 37 per cent expect personalised itineraries. Destination discovery remains a key use case at 29 per cent, with dining suggestions (23 per cent) and budget management (22 per cent) also emerging as practical applications.
The shift reflects a broader change in expectations AI is no longer a novelty but a planning companion expected to work across every stage of the journey, from inspiration to execution.
Trust levels appear to be keeping pace. Nearly 88 per cent of respondents said they either trust or feel neutral about AI-generated recommendations, including 53 per cent who expressed clear confidence. This builds on earlier trends, with Agoda’s 2025 survey showing nine in ten Indian travellers already using apps to book travel suggesting AI adoption is more evolution than disruption.
The company has been testing this appetite through initiatives such as its 2025 AI-powered Vacation Planner campaign, which generated customised itineraries and visuals based on user inputs, delivered with a layer of celebrity-led engagement.
For platforms like Agoda, which aggregates more than 6 million properties, over 130,000 flight routes and 300,000 travel activities, AI offers a way to navigate scale without overwhelming users turning abundance into relevance.
As AI continues to embed itself into everyday decision-making, India is emerging as a market where travel planning is not just going digital, but decisively intelligent.
