Vserv.mobi launches AudiencePro platform, partners with Airtel

Mumbai-based mobile advertising network Vserv.mobi has launched AudiencePro, its second technology platform after AppWrapper (earlier called AdWrapper) monetisation platform, the company's flagship product. The new platform combines the scale of Vserv.mobi's global mobile ad network with relevant mobile user data from telcos, allowing advertisers targeting based on demographics, spending power, mobile network usage history, location, content relevance and device-specific data. It claims that the new platform will unlock value across the entire mobile ecosystem including telecom providers, advertisers, publishers and app developers.

The AudiencePro platform will allow advertisers to reach mobile subscribers with highly relevant ads, displayed on multiple inventory sources across the Vserv.mobi network, including over 20,000 apps powered by AppWrapper. It will also include support for all creative formats, such as full screen ads, video and HTLM5 interactive ads.

As part of our launch, the company has also announced its first partner for the platform. It has partnered with Airtel, the world's third largest telecom operator by subscriber base. It also elaborated how AudiencePro will benefit the key players in the mobile ecosystem.

While telcos will have an opportunity to ad monetise their users across any site or app, advertisers will be able to reach exactly the audience they want via premium ads across mobile sites, apps and games. Publishers will experience higher levels of monetisation due to the audience profile layer being enabled on their inventory without any additional cost. Developers can enable premium AudiencePro ads in one click by the AppWrapper and mobile internet users will get highly relevant ads aligned with their consumption needs.

Established in January 2010 by Dippak Khurana and Ashay Padwal, Vserv is backed by IDG Ventures from which it received Series A round of funding to the tune of $3 million. As part of the deal Manik Arora and Karan Mohla from IDG Ventures joined Vserv's board. Ajay Adiseshann, founder and managing director of the mobile payment company PayMate, has also invested an undisclosed amount in Vserv.

The company also mentioned that it would not compromise on the customer's privacy for the ads. "The AudiencePro platform adheres to the highest standards of privacy protection, while also offering consumers flexibility and complete control via an 'opt-out' mechanism. The platform works by using broad categories to serve relevant ads and does not use any Personally Identifiable Information (PII)," read an official company blog post.

The company would also be rolling out the AudiencePro platform with more partners globally.

The company had earlier (July last year) entered into a partnership with telecom operator Vodafone for monetisation of the apps offered by the telco via its app store, VStore. The partnership enabled developers targeting app distribution through the VStore to monetise their apps with the help of Vserv's app monetisation platform AppWrapper. It later tied up with Sony Music Entertainment India Pvt Ltd to publish premium ads on Sony's Coke Studio app.

Late last year, it announced the appointment of three senior executives to its global management. It had appointed Rohit Verma as VP, India and Middle East, Elliot Renton as GM, publisher alliances, South East Asia and Narayan Murthy Ivaturi as GM, sales strategy.