More mobile app developers -- the folks who use mobile ad networks like Google, AdMob, Apple/Quattro, Millennial, Jumptap, Greystripe and others to make money from ads within their iPhone and Android apps -- are joining Wertago in sharing their views about our planned acquisition of AdMob.
Wayne Skipper of Concentric Sky, a developer of iPhone and Android apps, blogged that he was asked by the FTC for his views on Google/AdMob, and told the agency:
Like many in the industry, we believe [that blocking the deal] would be a serious mistake. There are much better places for the agency to focus its attention.Will Price, the CEO of mobile website developer WidgetBox, also shared his views that blocking the acquisition could have a negative impact on the start-up economy. And later Tim O’Reilly of O’Reilly Media tweeted in agreement with Price:
The mobile space is clearly in its infancy and is changing rapidly. At every touchpoint with the FTC, we felt like the market had shifted enough that what we’d said previously was already out of date. Recent game changing events like Apple’s iAd platform - not to mention Alcatel-Lucent’s new ad system that bypasses apps entirely - make it hard to understand why anyone would feel that a Google/AdMob partnership will reduce competition. From our perspective, this acquisition is a positive, reaffirming event for the entire mobile industry.
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We tried to emphasize our view that mobile advertising is an industry in flux - and as such, we strongly believe regulation now would be premature.
I agree: FTC considering blocking Google acquisition of AdMob is madness. Key competition is in mobile, not advertisingFinally, Farhad Manjoo of Slate wrote this morning about "why it's so absurd for the FTC to question Google's AdMob deal."
You can read more about what others are saying about the deal here.