The integration of Verizon Digital Media Services with AOL and Yahoo is “just the beginning” of a path that could see VDMS build its own dynamic ad decisioning technology. Until then, the company is happy to be agnostic with its integration decisions, says President Ralf Jacob.
“A lot of people have asked why AOL, why Yahoo,” Jacob says in an interview with Beet.TV. “We are the supply chain while AOL and Yahoo are on the demand side of things. We’re the tech organization.”
Noting the importance of being able to dynamically insert ads into live or linear video feeds, Jacob says VDMS has welcomed joining with other companies’ technology.
“We have been known in the industry to actually be agnostic to whom we’re integrating with,” says Jacob, citing the likes of DFP, FreeWheel and SpotX. “We continuously focus on how can we enhance the technologies that these service providers actually provide. Our integration with AOL and Yahoo is just at the beginning.”
In less than three years, VDMS has grown to nearly 1,200 people. This expansion has occurred amid constant change in the adtech space as all manner of companies try to adapt and survive.
“The providers that have services such as FreeWheel have taken notice that in order to stay relevant, they need to be playing with companies such as Verizon and VDMS,” Jacob says.
Describing as “super smooth” the company’s existing ad decision integrations, Jacobs adds, “We’re looking into potentially building our own sometime in the future, which is why the acquisitions of AOL and Yahoo happened in the first place. We’re very excited on where we can take this over the next couple of years.”
