Microsoft partners with InMobi to expand mobile advertising space

Tech giant Microsoft has entered into a strategic partnership with InMobi to get a foothold in the mobile advertising space. The partnership comes two years after Microsoft tried, albeit unsuccessfully, to acquire the mobile ad platform.

The partnership will require InMobi to gradually move to Microsoft Azure as its preferred cloud provider.

“Today, companies are seeking new ways to engage customers, with connected and personalized experiences. The combination of Microsoft Azure with InMobi’s marketing platforms will deliver new intelligent customer experiences and business insights to organizations around the world,” Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft said.

Microsoft has been striving to position itself in the mobile advertising space for sometime now. More so, as the Redmond-headquartered company failed to monetise its internet explorer and Bing search engine for web advertising. Stiff competition from Google and Facebook, besides InMobi has been a roadblock for Microsoft.

But the gradual shift in enterprises, from desktop to mobile for search queries, has opened a new avenue for the company. According to several studies, mobile search has surpassed desktop in volume. InMobi’s ad network spanning across 200 countries will instantly create a market for Microsoft in mobile advertising.

“InMobi is building one of the most advanced enterprise platforms for marketers, and we’re extremely excited to partner with Microsoft as we dive into the next frontier of connected devices,” said Naveen Tewari, founder and CEO of InMobi.

The two companies are looking at combining InMobi’s Advertising and Marketing Cloud capabilities with Microsoft Dynamics 365, on the back of Azure infrastructure, including AI, machine learning and analytics. The companies will focus on the go-to-market approach, offering integrated advertising and marketing solutions to Microsoft’s global enterprise client base.

InMobi Marketing Cloud will be sequentially launched market-wise around the world over the next six months, the companies said in a statement. According to market research firm eMarketer, mobile will account for more than half of overall digital ad spending, which is pegged at $2.8 billion.