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Open source ad player takes on Google

Openads is open source ad player that will compete with Google

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Elinor Mills Former Staff Writer
Elinor Mills covers Internet security and privacy. She joined CNET News in 2005 after working as a foreign correspondent for Reuters in Portugal and writing for The Industry Standard, the IDG News Service and the Associated Press.
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Elinor Mills

Openads, which offers free software that helps Web sites manage their online ad campaigns, recently received $5 million in initial funding, led by Index Ventures, according to a Reuters article.

Openads is seen as possibly treading on Google turf, competing with ad serving firm DoubleClick, which Google is hoping to acquire. Openads also could butt up against Google's popular AdSense pay-per-click ad network, Radar Research analyst Marissa Gluck told Reuters.

The difference is that Openads serves up ads for Web sites that install the ads themselves and then relies on ad networks to supply advertisers, while Google hosts the ad-serving for publishers and rounds up the advertisers. Openads sells support services and makes money off referring publishers to ad networks. Reminds me of when open source software started taking on Microsoft; a David and Goliath battle that continues to simmer. Good luck!