Surf joins mobile ads mix with hardware
Rating: Claims unique mid-stream ad capability
by Tony Dennis
Three briefings in four days all on the
same subject – mobile advertising – by three separate companies
each with Israeli R&D units must set some kind of record. But
that’s what just happened to me.
Today’s briefing came from Surf
Communication Solutions who’s come up with a
very hardware approach to tackling the nugget that is cracking the
mobile advertising market.
The approaches which differentiate Surf
with OnSurf from its rivals include the fact that this is an
unashamedly a pitch to the mobile network operators. Not surprisingly
several Tier One operators feature as Surf’s ecustomers.
The company also claims to be unique in
offering mid-stream mobile advertising.
Curiously, amongst its partners Surf
can also number Mobixell
– who also laid claim to the mobile ad space earlier this week. I
didn’t dare ask about innerActive being a
partner, too.
Nonetheless, this ability to interrupt
mobile videos mid flow with some kind of advertising was claimed as
unique. Whether that uniqueness is true or not doesn’t so much matter since I saw a
working demo which showed the capability in action.
As Surf’s Ilan Weizman claimed,
pre-roll and post-roll ad serving is a piece of cake, but to
interrupt a video stream while playing back a video ad from a stored file
is very tricky indeed. And probably is unique.
Surf maintains that
it’s ability to offer such a capability – some time in 2008 – is down to
its streaming technology which can basically transcode different
video formats in real time.
So, you can have a video stream in one format
and a video ad clip in another and the OnSurf box copes with this
in real time. Another unique facility Surf claims is the ability
to take advantage of channel ‘zapping’. Zapping is where a mobile
handset owner flicks over from one video channel to another.
Normally
there is something like a six to seven second delay as this zapping happens. Incredibly, Surf claims – and also
demonstrated – that it can take advantage of this viewing ‘lull’ to
serve up an advert. I saw it. It worked, but I’ve no idea how.
And,
just in case you’re still wondering – Yes, I do believe that mobile
advertising is fast becoming one of THE massive trends for 2008.
Gosh, won’t the MWC be fun?
Related News:
Leave a Comment