Microsoft announced new partnerships today with EyeWonder and Phluant to expand its mobile rich media advertising solutions in the U.S. “These partnerships complement its already rich media offering, and will enable more interactive and innovative ad experiences across Microsoft’s premium mobile browse properties, such as MSN, Windows Live Hotmail, Windows Live Messenger and Fox Sports,” a representative for the company tells WebProNews.  

Here’s what Microsoft says it’s getting out of the deal:

• Increased Reach: The supported rich media formats will be available across more mobile devices including the most popular smartphones, such as Window Phone 7, iOs, Android and Blackberry.
• Expanded Ad Capabilities: Advertisers will have greater choice in terms of engaging consumers in a more creative way with innovative mobile ad formats like floating ads, expandable to video, in-banner polling, mobile data collection, mobile couponing, and social media extensions.
• Larger Geographic Footprint: While today’s announcement is focused on solidifying our U.S. offering, we plan to expand our mobile rich media solutions to selected countries in Europe, Canada and Australia in the coming months.
• Targeting Capabilities: With these new mobile rich media ad formats, advertisers will be able to leverage critical ad targeting capabilities such as device, carrier, demo, geo and behavioral targeting and much more.

“EyeWonder is pleased to be a part of Microsoft’s mobile rich media advertising initiative,” said Erin Quist, VP Publisher Solutions at EyeWonder. “Being certified to run mobile ads on Microsoft properties gives us the opportunity to not only expand our long history of innovation with Microsoft, but allows us to continue offering brand marketers the most robust, unique and industry-leading mobile ad formats to reach audiences online and across connected devices.”

Microsoft says that it is committed to partnering with industry leaders to accelerate mobile ad innovation, particularly with HTML5 and in-app advertising gaining steam.

Microsoft has deals going with Nokia and RIM, which should significantly put Microsoft in the mobile game to a much greater extent that it has been up to this point.