Microsoft jumped into mobile advertising with the introduction of its Mobile Advertising SDK for Windows Phone 7 and Microsoft Advertising Exchange for Mobile. The SDK is a self-serve signup process, which simplifies the process of creating WP7 apps and incorporating ads. According to Microsoft, the SDK enables ads with “zero lines of code” with no account login and easy ad control integration and performance-tracking tools.
The SDK is designed to enable developers to use Mobile Advertising Exchange, which Microsoft describes as a real-time, bidded ad exchange for mobile devices “at the exact moment when an impression is served, increasing yield and reducing waste.”
In advance of WP7, Microsoft also made its Zune digital entertainment service available to the international market. The Zune software platform, Zune marketplace online store and Zune pass music subscription service will be available in more than 20 new markets, including the UK, Italy, Spain, France and Germany, for Windows Phone 7 smart phones, the Xbox LIVE gaming platform and Windows-based PCs.
The extension of the service to international markets makes sense because Microsoft plans to make the Windows Phone 7 initially available only on GSM networks, a dominant mobile network that is not available in the United States. AT&T has already indicated its intention to be a top carrier for Windows Phone 7’s eventual launch in the United States.
