AdBidCentral sells online ad 'futures'
You've heard of investors buying futures in oil, wheat and soybeans based on the future availability of a commodity. Well, a start-up has launched what it claims is the first futures-like marketplace for online advertising.
AdBidCentral allows companies to buy and sell premium ad space on Web sites, as opposed to current online ad exchanges, which tend to focus on last-minute remnant inventory, says Vivek Veeraraghavan, founder and chief executive of AdBidCentral.
"Today, we've got inventory listed out to February and March of next year, with full guarantees on number of impressions that will be delivered," he says. "We complement the activities of the direct sales force at publishers."
The company was set to announce on Wednesday the addition of Dictionary.com to its roster of Web sites offering ad space for sale. Other sites include Careerbuilder.com, MyYearbook.com, Topix and The Drudge Report.
Elinor Mills covers Internet security and privacy. She joined CNET News in 2005 after working as a foreign correspondent for Reuters in Portugal and writing for The Industry Standard, the IDG News Service, and the Associated Press. E-mail Elinor.
