An OpenX spokesperson explained in an email to WebProNews, "OpenX’s new platform, the company’s Software as a Service ad serving product for large publishers, is already being adopted by leading companies including Orange-France Telecom Group in Europe, Groupon in the United States and Excite in Japan."

That’s quite significant, considering that Google recently tried to buy Groupon.  Also, Orange used to have a deal with DoubleClick, a subsidiary of the search giant.

The OpenX spokesperson then continued, "The platform becomes available today and will allow publishers to maximize revenue more efficiently and effectively in the increasingly sophisticated ad landscape.  By optimizing all ad revenue channels in real-time and in one place, we think this new platform represents breakthrough technology for the online advertising industry."

It should be interesting to see what happens next.  All sorts of companies might be willing or eager to follow Groupon’s lead.  If they don’t encounter any problems, a second wave of firms might give OpenX’s ad tech a shot, as well.

Again, it’s hard to imagine Google isn’t paying close attention to all of this.

Under the terms of the multiyear agreement, OpenX will expand its distribution of its technology for delivering ads on websites. In addition, OpenX will promote Microsoft’s Content Ads monetization products.

Microsoft will have a major distribution channel for its monetization products via OpenX’s community of more than 150,000 websites that serve more than 300 billion ads per month. OpenX will gain access to a new base of potential customers through referrals from Microsoft. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"We’re pleased to build on the foundation we laid last year, and we’re especially pleased that Microsoft has selected OpenX as a technology partner," said Tim Cadogan, chief executive officer, OpenX.

"We think our product suite is particularly well-suited to helping grow the businesses of those new publishers Microsoft will refer to us. Similarly, we think that Content Ads will provide an additional and important monetization option for existing OpenX publishers, while helping them increase their advertising revenue."

 The Content Ads part of the agreement comes after a successful trial Microsoft and Open X began in August 2008, during which OpenX provided invitations to its publishers to test the product.
 

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OpenX Market is focused on helping publishers generate more revenue and to help advertisers more easily reach their target audiences across large numbers of publishers. Publishers have control over routing any or all of their ad impressions into the OpenX Market by using tools integrated into the company’s ad server.

The OpenX Market uses a real-time auction for impressions on Web sites, comparing the ad rates for advertising through its market place with a publisher’s own inventory and runs the one, which will provide the most revenue.

Tim Cadogan

"Historically, the online advertising market has been fractured, opaque, hard to participate in and therefore inefficient. In particular, mid-sized and smaller publishers lack the ability to reach a broad set of advertisers. Conversely, advertisers see lots of value in niche sites and audiences, but find it very hard to discover and buy those sites and audiences." said Tim Cadogan, chief executive officer, OpenX.

"The OpenX Market is all about making these connections simple, seamless and scalable. We have listened extensively to our very large global community of publishers and have developed the Market specifically to overcome these inefficiencies by providing all classes of publishers and ad buyers with a unique monetization platform that we believe will create enormous value for both."
 

OpenX has a base of about 30,000 Web publishers around the globe on 100,000 Web sites in more than 100 countries. OpenX’s new CEO Tim Cadogan said, "With open-source software, there is a lot of potential for business disruption and to open up the market. You haven’t really seen open-source models really applied to the ad space until now. But there is a big business in giving publishers a really robust offering and a platform where they can also share what they build."

Adding to it Cadogan stated,"

According to the outgoing CEO of OpenX James Bilefield, "The US is the global hub for the online publishing and advertising markets, so we need a very strong presence in that market. As we scale our publisher base and introduce exciting new services to help publishers increase their revenues from online ads, the time is right for OpenX to bring in new, US-based leadership and relocate across the Atlantic. I am delighted we have attracted Tim Cadogan to lead OpenX into this next stage" Inspite of relinquishing the position of CEO, Bilefield would still stay in OpenX as an adviser."

Comments

 Tim Cadogan

OpenX is moving its head office from London to Los Angeles, so it would seem the company’s very willing to accommodate its new leader.  Cadogan responded by stating, "I’m thrilled to join OpenX at this stage of development. . . .  I look forward to building a world class team in the US and Europe, further accelerating our product roadmap and driving the company’s and the community’s future success."

OpenX’s software is already used by about 30,000 publishers in more than 100 countries, according to corporate documents.  It’s backed by Accel Partners, which has worked with comScore, Facebook, and BitTorrent, and Index Ventures, which has ties to Last.fm and Joost.

In other words, everything’s looks to be in pretty good shape.  Kara Swisher noted, "OpenX has raised about $21 million in funding since 2007. . . .  Former AOL head Jon Miller also recently joined its board as chairman."

Finally, as a sort of news item/public service announcement (given the current economy), we’ll note that OpenX is hiring.