Apple Shuts Down Quattro in Favor of iAd

Quattro homepage: iAds-only starting Sept. 30.

Quattro Wireless, the finger in Google’s advertising pie, will be all iAd all the time, after September 30. That’s the message visitors receive at the mobile ad firm’s website. It’s also a message to competitors that Apple continues on its path to becoming a vertical powerhouse: entertainment, mobility and advertising.

“We believe iAd is the best mobile ad network in the world, and starting next month we’re going to focus all our resources on the iAd advertising platform,” announced Quattro.

Apple purchased Quattro at the start of 2010 for a rumored $275 million. The acquisition was seen as Cupertino’s response to Google muscling-in on the iPhone-maker’s negotiations with mobile ad network AdMob.

Although Google early-on professed no worries about the acquisition, Apple took a single-minded path toward blocking the Mountain View Internet giant from access to the lucrative iOS advertising market.

While it hasn’t yet enforced the restriction, Apple forbids iOS developers from selling applications that open the iPhone, iPad, iPod audience to outside ad networks.

That restriction is having an effect at blunting other rivals’ mobile advertising desires. Earlier this week, a Wall Street Journal report recounted the trouble BlackBerry-maker Research in Motion is having acquiring a mobile ad player. Millennial Media, the company that tops RIM’s list of buy-out candidates, is balking at the idea of losing access to the iOS network.

Despite its forward movement and positive reactions, the iAd platform is off to a reportedly ‘bumpy start’ with some advertisers. Ad execs told the Wall Street Journal that Apple’s control over the creative process can sometimes double the time required to build an advertisement for iAd.

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[9to5Mac]

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