It’s all iPad all week. And while most of the attention will be focused on the sexy new device (get ready for an avalanche of never ending unboxing videos and juicy photos), there is a real battle for online ad supremacy brewing behind the scenes.
Today though it’s likely to start gaining more visibility as rumors of Apple’s new ad platform – “the next big thing” – begin to surface.
It makes sense. With lots of Apple mobile devices flooding the market, why just sell content, when you can also sell ads? It’s a big-time multi-billion dollar market dominated online by Google. For now. Increased competition from Facebook, and now Apple suggests the online ad battle is just heating up.
In pure Apple fashion, details of the announcement are unknown, although there is plenty of rabid speculation. Latest rumor has it an announcement will be made April 7, just 4 days after iPad touches down.
Fastcompany suggests it will leverage Apple’s purchase of Quattro Wireless for $300 million in January to compete against mobile ad platform AdMob by Google.
Steve Jobs has been quoted by Wired as saying, “We did not enter the search business. They entered the phone business. Make no mistake they want to kill the iPhone. We won’t let them.”
But now it seems Apple is indeed very serious about the online ad business. This could get very interesting.