The launch of 0range’s new online press room and the Press Association’s new video news wire mark a significant day in the media world.

It’s a breath of fresh air to see a leading corporate and one the nation’s top media organisations recognise the benefits of digital communications and invest in it despite the recession.

I am in no doubt that this is not a coincidence and I suspect many businesses, if they have not done so already, will start to follow suit and change the way they communicate online.

This will open many ‘digital doors’ for companies like PR Newswire and RealWire – who offer social news releases; MeltWater and Precise – who offer online monitoring and evaluation; and most importantly for us PR people.

Granted, PAs service is aimed at national and regional broadcasters but I expect it won’t be long until they start compressing the footage to .mp4 or .flv and using it on their websites or social network profiles, e.g. YouTube.

And as this product develops so too will the PR industry – with a greater emphasis on creating and delivering video and providing ways for consumers to access social media profiles, such as Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.

These are exciting times for – which I’m sure, will move at a great speed. Watch this space…