While everyone is talking about the Tablet and E-Reader by Apple, there is big news about a move by Apple that is nearly revolutionary, straight into the Google turf. As reported by Techcrunch and others, Apple is buying Quattro Wireless, a mobile ad platform. A MOBILE AD PLATFORM! Apple is an integrated device+software+services company. Every product it sells has this baked in.
This move means many things. This possibly means Apple wants a piece of the Ad pie, at least in the mobile space.
This is a welcome move. There is little stopping Google power in the ad world, and with all its self proclaimed openness, it still keeps the split a secret in its hugely successful Adsense business that forms the second major leg of Google’s business after Search. Apple, with its apparent closed culture is far more open with its 70-30% split rule for the Apps and Music/Entertainment business where it works with 1000’s of third parties.
Apple might enforce a more open system in the ‘adsense’ world, at least for the mobile platform, and from there, hopefully the desktop world.
