WebProNews

This development hinges on some big assumptions: AOL needs to avoid being acquired, the economy must stay un-collapsed, and WWIII shouldn't break out.  Still, if this all holds true until some unknown point in the first half of 2009, Platform-A will launch a new ad exchange.

BidPlace, as it's called, was announced today, and is supposed to act as a gift to advertisers who would like to serve themselves.  They'll be able to bid on and manage inventory across a number of sites belonging to AOL and its partners, and should receive detailed reports concerning ads' performance.

Lynda Clarizio, the president of Platform-A, explained in a statement, "BidPlace unleashes the industry's most powerful advertising technologies and puts them in the hands of advertisers.  This is the next step in Platform-A's efforts to provide marketers a unified solution for brand advertising at scale and performance advertising across multiple media."

Also, "BidPlace gives advertisers what they've been asking for - a more accessible and transparent approach and an ability to adjust the dials to get the best results."

BidPlace will go up against similar exchanges provided by Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft, though, so any sort of widespread popularity is hardly assured.  Other circumstances beyond its control (see the half-jokes in paragraph one) will play a big role in its success or failure, too.