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Patent for interstitial mobile advertising

9 February 2006

Rapid Mobile Media Ltd, the mobile applications and technology supplier has filed a patent for a powerful, non-obtrusive mechanism for targeted advert delivery into mobile content streams. Mobile phones are considered to be an untapped market for advertising and there is a huge latent demand from advertisers to use the medium.

Rapid Adtech™ provides interstitial adverts that productively use the otherwise frustrating ‘wait time’ whenever a link is clicked. “This adds no delay whatsoever and is a lot less boring than looking at an hour glass” said Technical Director, Dr Richard M Marshall. “Typically, each wait while content downloads is between 1 and 10 seconds. Since an average WAP session has three clicks you have the users attention for up to 30s. That’s a lot of time to usefully fill with appropriate adverts,” he added.

The Rapid Adtech system intelligently links keywords from the user’s with same-topic adverts to maximise response. Other factors such as location and time of day can be used as selection criteria. Once selected a technique called OverWAP is used to deliver the advert to the handset without slowing down the user’s browsing.

A session might start with a general brand awareness advert, to be replaced at each click through with progressively more  targeted advertising. Users have the option  of clicking a ‘red button’ to link through from the advertisement to more find information or make a purchase.

Rapid Mobile’s Managing Director, Iain Maddox, explained “we’re offering media buyers the chance to buy space literally in the hands of their target audience. No longer will half the advertising budget be wasted – we’ve solved that old problem. Every penny spent will be well spent.”

It’s not just advertiser who is gaining a new channel. Network operators can open a new source of revenue. “What used to be a problem – network latency – is now a revenue opportunity,” added Maddox. “Network operators can now opt to provide premium content on their portal free of charge to the end user, encouraging uptake of data and rich media services.”

Rapid Adtech will be available for demonstration at the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona (13-16 Feb). Rapid Mobile staff will be on the Scottish Development International stand.