Fast Search and Transfer took the wraps off software that could help newspapers survive on their own in the online ad world, reports Reuters.

A number of newspaper publishers have recently signed deals with online ad networks to have them deliver ads to the paper's websites. A chunk of the revenue, then never makes it to the paper but stays with the intermediary. These deals are often struck to make up for the fact that the newspapers can't spend the time developing in-house solutions and be left that much farther behind.

FASTMedia, the news software from Fast Search and Transfer, could eliminate the need for that. The software would allow papers to deliver local-specific search results and serve up ads along side those results. That would enable publishers to keep all the ad revenue they generate. If successful it could help papers boost online ad income, which has failed to match declines in offline revenue.

Reed Elsevier's Reed Business Information division is currently testing the software in the U.S.