Apple buying mobile ad network Quattro Wireless for $275M?
By Chris Ziegler 
posted January 4th 2010 11:19PM
posted January 4th 2010 11:19PM
Now that everyone and their mother's got a smartphone, you've got a pile of sweaty capitalists pounding on the door trying to find every last conceivable way to turn the trend into cold, hard cash. One of the most obvious -- quality apps from a central clearinghouse -- is proving fruitful through countless official platform app stores, but targeted mobile advertising has to be a close second. Google saw the writing on the wall and snapped up AdMob not long ago; one of AdMob's competitors, Quattro Wireless, is now rumored to be locked up for a purchase by Apple for a cool $275 million as early as tomorrow. While mobile ads (or ads of any sort, really) aren't event remotely in Cupertino's repertoire, it's easy to see how this could give the company an opportunity to capitalize on the iPhone's vibrant free app ecosystem, centralize revenue for devs (while stealing a nice little cut for itself), and take back a cottage industry that's flourished since the App Store's debut. At this point, it's unclear what this means for iPhone users -- or would-be tablet users, for that matter -- but seeing how this jibes with recent Apple IP, this tie-up might actually make a frightening amount of sense.
Haha Chris did you come up with that image? It's perfect.
@Mr Oos
Also, maybe take one more read-through on the article.
"While mobile ads (or ads of any sort, really) aren't event remotely in Cupertino's repertoire..."
...what? : |
@Mr Oos
TBWA/Chiat/Day does Apple's ads, not Apple themselves.
So, they're going to pair ad's with free apps? I swear I know another company is doing that...I just can't recall their name.
@daytripper
How dare you suggest that Apple's copying another company.
That's a hangin' offence around these parts.
Also, if Apple does it it's good. Period. And don't you forget it.
@daytripper Yeah me too. I remember hearing outcry of said company's actions..if only I could remember who it was!
@jon
you just made my day. :)
@daytripper
giving stuff away for free with ads is not a new idea.
ever heard of television, you dumb fuck?
@Wesscoast
Zune HD Marketplace now loaded with free 3D games
"Wesscoast Posted Nov 11th 2009 10:09AM
instead of wishing MS would give you Adblock, why not just wish the damn thing wasn't made by MS (who put the spam there) in the first place.
iPod touch rules."
From MS it's spam, from Apple they're ads.
@Wesscoast
Oh no, an internet douche iLemming is mad at me, how can I go on living?
@jon
I guess you're trying to point out that I said I love watching Ads if Apple's behind it. Which I didn't. And don't. Bringing the ZuneHD back from the grave for the purpose of this strawman argument is pretty funny, though.
I merely pointed out that giving something away and slapping ads on it to finance the whole thing is not Google's idea, its an idea as old as time. Apple can do whatever the hell they want, but calling them Google wannabe's because they bought this company is ludicrous.
When Apple launches iSearch.com, then, by all means, go crazy on the interwebs. I'll be right there too.
But it'll never happen.
Apple wanted Admob, presumably to bake in an advertising infrastructure for all the magazines/newspapers that are going to be viewed on the upcoming tablet. They didn't get it. Now they're getting Admob's direct competitor. Shock.
Interestingly, this makes Apples 'Tablet universe of ePublications a... competitor to the... Internet. Where Google rules the Internet and Apple rules the Tablet-net. Oh, brother...
And Daytripper, don't worry, I'm not mad at you at all.
I just made you look stupid for calling 'advertising' a Google invention circa 1996, that Steve Jobs is now attempting to 'copy'. Heh.
@Wesscoast
There was a whole heap of writing above (ludicrous got an eyebrow raise... really??), which didn't make the serving you got less funny :)
Yo Chris, where have the podcasts been?!
Since MWC is coming up pretty soon, should we expect coverage similar to last year and resumption of the podcasts?
Gl with ces (if ure going i.e).
Does apple copy everything Google does??
@Atlantian No, we actually make money on various product unlike Google who takes in 97% of it's revenue from ad's. Google has many services but can't find a way to make money from them unless they plaster them with ad's. They tried to compete with YouTube and failed, so they bought it over and plastered ad's on it.
@Steve Jobs CEO
And guess what. No one like the Ads on Youtube, or anywhere. We don't click on them. If anything, the model is going to be closer to what Facebook does. Allow users to 'vote' on what ads suck, giving feedback to the advertisers, lowering the amount of money they pay.
I'm picturing the "I'm a Mac" ads playing in the boot screen of the iPhone.
On second thought. Maybe this means free updates for the iPod touch.
@richardspagna
If you're worried about $5 upgrades months in advance, maybe getting the latest Jesus Device isn't your biggest concern right now.
yep, check your mobile safari or android 2.0+ databases for QWAPI...
Apple's logo should be replaced by a logo of a shark.
Damn it ...
Bonus points for usage of the words "sweaty", "pounding" and "capitalist" in the same sentence.
What i hope they do with this acquisition is make MobileMe a free ad-supported service. The annual subscription thing is ridiculous in the post-Google age.
wow engadget, do you always snub people who tip you off to these stories?
Wesscoast is a little bitc*