comScore recently released its monthly analysis of U.S. consumer activity at top online properties for February 2008 from the comScore Media Metrix service (click here for original press release). The following highlights key findings within the Top 50 Web Rankings.

As part of its ongoing commitment to customer satisfaction, Internet Broadcasting rolled out a brand new video player on a slew of broadcast partner websites on Thursday, March 13. The new video player launched on the Hearst-Argyle, Meredith and McGraw-Hill sites with plans for the Post-Newsweek and Cox partner sites to roll out shortly.

Incorporating a whole host of “firsts” for IB, the new video player aligns heavily with IB’s corporate objectives: creating innovative products and content to engage local Internet users and creating win-win partnerships with customers. The new player will enable IB partners to better showcase and monetize their video assets, while giving consumers a simpler overall user experience by successfully incorporating both Adobe Flash and Microsoft Silverlight technologies into a single, seamless video application.

To see the new video player in action, click here.

A cross-functional team of IB employees recently won the inaugural Sierra Bravo’s F1 Overnight Website Challenge, a website makeover event matching talented volunteer Web pros with Minnesota non-profits. IB’s winning team consisted of representatives from technology, design and production and was comprised of: Ken Earley, Lance Vo, Jessica Callery, John Shepard, Leon Giles, Kahlil Brewington, Luke Grohovsky and Susan Inglis.

Held on the University of Minnesota’s St. Paul Campus, the 24-hour overnight event pitted 11 Web development teams in a friendly competition to create ready to launch or ready to demonstrate website for a Twin Cities-based non-profit organization. Whether it was build from scratch or a wholesale re-design, the purpose of the event was to highlight creative ways for non-profits to strategically use Web technology to accomplish their missions.

All 11 of the competing teams were evaluated by a panel of judges twice during the proceedings—as well as at the conclusion of the event, when they presented their final Web demonstration in front of their fellow competitors. And after the votes were all tabulated, Team IB’s Families Moving Forward website was awarded First Place.

“We are, in a word, ecstatic,” said Leslie Frost, Families Moving Forward’s executive director. “We got so much more than we expected—functionality, content, and coolness. We’re trying to add a little ‘hip’ without scaring off older volunteers while attracting new ones. And now, when people search online for family homelessness, we’ll pop up first rather than never.”

In addition to pre-event preparation—made more difficult because competing teams were not assigned their non-profit until one hour before the competition began—Team IB credited much of their success to the use of ‘Agile’ practices and the individual strengths of their team members. “Adapting Agile practices helped us win,” said team member, Leon Giles. “Creating personas and user stories, along with solid iteration and release planning helped us stay on track, while keeping the customer in the loop.”

These practices were apparently not lost on the judges, who indicated that Team IB’s communication and interaction with the customer was a key factor in the team’s success, noting that, “the customer even liked the acceptance testing process!”

The winning website is expected to be deployed soon, but until that time, congratulations Team IB!