engine - 5:53 pm on Sep 17, 2010 (gmt 0)

Microsoft Announces Mobile Ad Exchange [mediaweek.com]

The software giant on Thursday (Sept. 16) launched the Microsoft Advertising Exchange for Mobile, which it is touting as the first such platform designed to sell mobile ad inventory via a real-time, auction bidding model. The announcement is being timed just prior to Microsoft’s rollout of Windows Phone 7 operating system this October. The company is encouraging developers who plan to create applications for Windows Phone 7 to tap into the exchange to monetize their apps. Microsoft says it has also lined up several mobile ad networks to participate in the exchange, including Millennial Media, Where, InMobi and MobClix. However, it should be noted that Microsoft has not mentioned any plans to work with two of the biggest players in mobile: neither Google (which runs it’s own network AdMob) nor Apple.