Wireless advertising technology firm SkyGo is moving into the Asian market, through a new sales agreement with Asian ad network AdSociety and a new Hong Kong office.
AdSociety is a subsidiary of telco giant Pacific Century Cyberworks that sells broadband site and network inventory in China, Japan, and Korea, and will represent SkyGo’s carrier and publisher customers to regional advertisers through the deal.
AdSociety will also sell its network partners on Redwood City, Calif.-based SkyGo’s wireless ad platform, media and consulting services.
Additional terms of the arrangement were not disclosed.
Through the partnership, SkyGo effectively gains a sizable footprint through a Hong Kong-based sales partner with offices throughout Asia, in Beijing, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney, Taipei and Tokyo.
SkyGo also said it would open its own presence in Hong Kong in conjunction with the new sales agreement.
“The wireless industry in Asia is experiencing rapid growth, and advertisers are in need of innovative new formats that take advantage of the interactivity of this unique medium — ads that are much more than banners crammed onto mobile phones,” said SkyGo founder and chief executive Daren Tsui.
The companies also said they would work on selling and delivery of emerging technologies — like rich media wireless ads.
“Advertising has increasingly become a new revenue model in the wireless world,” said AdSociety founder and CEO Patrick Jonathan Wong. With the new partnership, “we will help our customers leverage the interactivity of SkyGo’s technology solutions to realize these new revenue channels, build brands, and establish greater relationships with new and existing customers.”
Asia’s been quite a hot target for online ad firms as of late. Earlier in the week, ad network Engage launched a sales presence in the area dedicated to its AdManager and AdBureau software units. On Wednesday, industry leader DoubleClick closed most of its Australian presence, but relocated some of its employees there to its stronger Hong Kong office.
And clearly, a presence in Asia — where mobile penetration is typically over 60 percent — seems advantageous for U.S. wireless firms. China, Japan and Korea also boast some of the largest wireless subscriber populations in the world, and research firms like Ovum are predicting Asian wireless ad revenue to exceed $400 million by 2002.
“Asia, and in particular, China, Japan and Korea, is leading the global wireless revolution,” Wong said. “AdSociety’s initiatives in wireless advertising in these markets will provide us the head start to immediately bring SkyGo’s solutions to these markets.”
