Cashing Out: Week of April 12-18th, 2009 in Online Marketing News
OpenX Launches Online Advertising Marketplace
OpenX, a trusted ad serving utility for publishers, has finally stepped into ad network ring with the launch of OpenX Marketplace. While the technology packaged in the service is not groundbreaking, no other ad network enjoys the kind of trust OpenX does with its publishers which should give them an enviable amount of leverage and adoption.
Google Posts Mixed Earnings Results in Q1
Google’s publishing of its Q1 results was met with mixed response. Revenues generated from Google’s partner sites through AdSense generated $1.64 billion a decrease of 3% from first quarter of 2008, while aggregate paid clicks increased 17% over the same time period. Slides are below:
Microsoft Merges Live Search Products and Cashback
Seems like a no-brainer but Microsoft has finally merged its Live Search Cashback platform with Live Search Products into a single experience. Why this wasn’t done when Cashback was launched in 2007 is anybody’s guess.
Skype Testing Click-To-Call Ads
With 405 million users Skype is starting to test click-to-call ads with a local focus in Europe and New Zealand. As part of this initiative Skype is retooling an old feature SkypeFind, Skype’s business directory, to cater to potential telephone directory partners like the Yellow Pages. Telephone directories could upsell to advertisers the ability to make calls to their numbers free to consumers through Skype.
Obama Announces CTO
President Barack Obama has named Aneesh Paul Chopra as the new Chief Technology Officer. Chopra was serving as Virginia’s Secretary of Technology with accolades that include the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society’s 2007 State Leadership Advocacy Award. Along with advising on ways to streamline healthcare communication and reduce costs, Chopra will be charged with advising the Administration on technology matters. It will be interesting to see how such issues as net neutrality will be impacted.
