AOL, Microsoft, Yahoo Working Together to Form Defined Set of APIs

AOL Inc.

, Microsoft Corp.

and Yahoo

on Tuesday announced that they have each committed to converge around a common set of API specifications for the premium programmatic digital advertising sales channel. The goal is to make it easier for advertisers and agencies to procure premium digital advertising by reducing the friction in discovering, ordering and paying for premium inventory. The companies are committing to work together on a defined set of APIs that will better automate the process for buying premium digital advertising. The absence of this type of standardization and common specifications has historically inhibited the growth of the online media business. Although the programmatic buying model has helped address an industrywide need to buy inventory faster and more efficiently — through direct response and real-time bidded mechanisms — it has yet to address the challenges brand marketers and publishers face when seeking to predictably and seamlessly reach consumers across multiple devices via premium digital advertising offerings. AOL, Microsoft and Yahoo will make the API specifications available in the coming months. The companies