Nisenholtz: Zimbalist's Mission to 'Look Around Corners'

By: Miki Johnson The New York Times Company's announcement that it is hiring Online Publishers Association (OPA) President Michael Zimbalist to head up its newly created research and development operation seems to signal a new forward-thinking era for the news industry.

Zimbalist, who starts Jan. 23, says his role will include three major components: creating an R&D group dedicated to "corporation-wide innovation capability," leading The Boston Globe's site, www.boston.com, into "its next phase of growth," and keeping a finger on the pulse of mobile distribution platforms.

The Times Co. has invested heavily in online, most notably with the $410 million purchase of About.com earlier this year and the September rollout of TimesSelect. Zimbalist will be asked to provide strategic insight as the company puts all the pieces together.

Martin Nisenholtz, The Times Co.'s senior vice president for digital operations, says the newly formed R&D group is vital to an organization like the Times, which in the past has been necessarily engrossed by its "day-to-day" functions.

"We wanted to have the capability to allow people to look around corners," he said. "To see what was evolving in the new media landscape."

For boston.com, Nisenholtz envisions being able to "capture this phrase, 'all things Boston.'" Technology, especially enhanced search functionality, figures to play a vital role in the site's development.

Zimbalist acknowledges that localized search capabilities will be key to the "next generation" of searches. The other star act will be vertical search, like those supplied by About.com, which Zimbalist described as "a collection of very strong verticals."

Nisenholtz avoided specifics when describing Zimbalist's position, but he obviously expects big things from the online content guru and knows what he can do. The two have had continued contact with one another since they worked together years ago on a field trial of interactive television.