Adobe to install its Flash player on more set-top boxes and mobile devices

Adobe has announced its plans to try and get its Flash player installed on a greater number of set-top boxes and mobile devices. Termed Open Screen, the new initiative by Adobe lifts restrictions on how the firm’s multimedia handling software can be utilised.

Adobe will stop levying licensing fees for its mobile versions of Flash and also plans to publish information about the (inner) workings of the code. In taking this bold step Adobe hopes to repeat the success of its web based Flash technology on mobiles. According to Adobe estimates, its Flash player is installed on over 98 per cent of net-connected desktop computers.

Its Open Screen plan incorporates a strategy to build on Flash Lite – the version Adobe multimedia player specially designed for mobile gadgets, which is already installed on millions of handhelds. The Open Screen aims at making it much easier for TV / film makers to push their content on mobile platforms and also on other devices like set-top boxes. It aims to achieve this by creating a flexible player technology, which can smoothly run on any small-form device, only demanding that developers write code just once for it.

Mobile image ads by Google

It works just like the Google image ads with the only difference being that the recently launched Google mobile ads can fit on to the small screen of one’s mobile phone.

It has been said, by the Google mobile ads team, that these new ads have a good CTR and moreover they could prove for advertisers to be a good branding tool. These mobile ads are displayed in a ‘one unit per one mobile page’ manner and hence they could benefit advertisers further.

This will also open up another avenue for Adsense publishers since they can now also display advertising on their mobile websites.

Google has cleared any doubts before they arise by saying that these image ads will not obstruct mobile web browsers’ browsing experience because it only gives out relevant ads and also the users can opt to click on only the ads that they find purposeful and can simply avoid the rest.

Google introduces image ads for mobile phones

Google, the search-engine giant, plans to further enhance its stature in the mobile advertising industry by introducing brand-image ads for mobile phones. The company is keen on extending beyond that brand image largely associated with the Internet.

The company is going to step into the mobile advertising industry by offering mobile images, which are similar to the standard graphical display ads for desktop computer web pages. However, these images are reduced in size to fit on mobile-phone screens. Additionally, all mobile image ads are targeted keeping in mind the keywords that users type into phones to search for various types of information. These ads are priced on a cost-per-click basis, and are linked to web pages specially optimised to work on mobile phones. Only one image ad is displayed on each mobile page, which makes the page appear less cluttered on small screens.

The marketing manager of Google, Alexander Kenin, stated mobile image ads serve as a branding tool for advertisers and are noted to have good click-through rates. These mobile image ads are available in 13 national markets, including the Netherlands, Russia, Spain, Australia, France, China, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the US and the UK.

DoubleClick Mobile joins hands with mobile ad networks

DoubleClick Inc., a leading online display ad technology provider, is all set to join hands with leading mobile ad networks. The recently Google acquired firm DoubleClick is integrating its mobile advertising delivery system with AdMob, Google’s AdSense and Millennial Media’s MBrand and Decktrade to facilitate publishers (deal) with their ad inventory.

The group product manager of the DoubleClick products, Ari Paparo stated that if a publisher is getting traffic on his mobile pages in the mobile business, he or she has to choose between selling all his ads directly with his sales force or alternatively outsourcing all the ads to a network. According to him, this merger will help publishers to easily allocate inventory to whichever networks they want that will enable them to treat mobile like display ads on the Internet.

Mobile publishers will be able to fill more of their inventory on the channel and increase their revenue base. Additionally, DoubleClick Mobile will help them to accept ads from Millennial Media’s advertisers while allowing them sell directly as well. Plus, DoubleClick clients will now be able to join 4,000 existing AdMob publishers to sell mobile ad inventory. DoubleClick is positioned to publishers as a helping hand for managing inventory across the various direct and indirect channels.

Skype On Java Mobiles

Skype has introduced a test version of a client for Java-enabled mobile devices. The company views this move as a crucial step forward for its mobile strategy. At the same time, the company made it clear that the software is in its pilot stage and subject to major limitations. With the new client, Skype joins a group of companies, like Fring and Truphone, attempting to bring Internet telephony to the mobile world. Such moves have so far come across challenges that are related to the technology and structure of the mobile-phone industry. Skype’s client is in no way different.

The client depends on the ordinary cellular infrastructure for specific portions of the call. This means that the users will always have to pay their usual local or national rate to make calls. The calls can still work out to be cheaper in certain cases. For example, callers can make international calls without having to pay international rates. Calls to landlines and mobile phones will incur additional charges. Calls made to Skype clients are charged at usual local or national mobile rates.

The client can also take advantage of the instant-messaging service of Skype and other features but these would involve data charges from the mobile operator. Calls that are received through the client are charged at SkypeOut rates. SkypeOut is a paid service that is used to make calls to landlines and mobile phones.