Microsoft nabs Paris firm for mobile ads

Microsoft Corp. expanded its mobile advertising business with the acquisition of ScreenTonic SA, a Paris-based outfit with carrier partners in Belgium, France and the United Kingdom.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
ScreenTonic powers a variety of mobile advertising formats including banners, fully branded WAP sites and SMS campaigns; the company also provides ad management and reporting offerings. Microsoft, which last year reportedly was in negotiations to acquire Third Screen Media, said it will integrate ScreenTonic’s technology and relationships with its own Digital Advertising Solutions platform in an effort to deliver ads across mobile phones, computers and Xbox consoles.
“We think ScreenTonic’s platform is a good platform, but that’s not the issue we were trying to tackle,” said Matt Champagne, Microsoft’s director of mobile product management for MSN and Windows Live. “It was moving to a commercial phase of rolling this thing out across markets.”
ScreenTonic will continue to operate out of its Paris headquarters, Microsoft said.