Acnielsen Ltd., a world leading market research company, announced yesterday that the Chinese government has granted its subsidiary Nielsen//NetRatings approval to conduct Internet tracking research in China.

Nielsen//NetRatings, invested by NetRatings, Nielsen Media Research and ACNielsen, is the first foreign firm to get such a license to measure Chinese Internet consumer behavior.

The approval, analysts said, indicated the further opening of China's market research field.

"This marks a watershed for Nielsen//NetRatings' service in Asia and at a global level," said Bill Pulver, president of ACNielsen eRatings.com. "It means we are the only Internet research company with our finger directly on the pulse of Web trends in the world's most populous nation."

To comply with Chinese regulations and localize its services, Nielsen//NetRatings has formed a partnership with a Beijing company to develop and test software.

"The Asia-Pacific region is set to become the engine for growth in global Internet access and usage over the next few years," ACNielsen said in a press release. "China will spearhead this trend, which attracts ACNielsen."

The company said Nielsen//NetRatings tracks in real time the entire spectrum of Internet user behavior: who is online, where they are going, what banner ads they're viewing and clicking on and how much time they spend.

This information, obtained from the randomly selected panels of home Internet users, will be used by companies choosing sites for online ads.

Nielsen//NetRatings said it is ready to build an audience measurement panel in China, and expects to start providing its services by early next year.

China will become Nielsen//NetRatings' 29th market.

Its major markets include other countries in the Asia-Pacific region and also in Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa.

(eastday.com 10/09/2001)