Several mobile operators plan to block advertising on their networks, setting the stage for a battle with digital media companies such as Google, AOL and Yahoo.
多家移动运营商计划在其网络上封杀广告,此举或引发它们与谷歌(Google)、美国在线(AOL)和雅虎(Yahoo)等数字媒体公司之间的大战。
One European wireless carrier told the Financial Times that it has installed blocking software in its data centres and planned to turn it on before the end of 2015.
一家欧洲无线运营商向英国《金融时报》表示,该公司已在其数据中心安装封禁软件,并计划在2015年底以前开启该软件的功能。
The software prevents most types of advertising from loading in web pages and apps, though it does not interfere with “in-feed” ads of the kind used by Facebook and Twitter.
这种软件会阻止网页和应用载入多数类型的广告。不过,该软件不会干涉Facebook和Twitter所用的那种“in-feed”广告(指直接插入使用者信息流中的一类广告——译者注)。
The blocking technology was developed by Shine, an Israeli start-up whose shareholders include Horizon Ventures, the investment fund of Li Ka-shing, Asia’s richest person.
这种封禁技术由以色列初创企业Shine公司开发。亚洲富豪李嘉诚创办的投资基金Horizon Ventures也是该公司股东之一。
Mr Li also controls Hutchison Whampoa, one of the world’s largest telecoms groups.“Tens of millions of mobile subscribers around the world will be opting in to ad blocking by the end of the year,” said Roi Carthy, chief marketing officer of Shine. “If this scales, it could have a devastating impact on the online advertising industry.”
Shine首席营销官鲁瓦•卡尔蒂(Roi Carthy)表示:“到今年底以前,全球数以千万计的移动用户将通过自主选择的方式,加入屏蔽广告的行列。如果达到这样的规模,这可能会对在线广告业产生毁灭性影响。”
Verizon, the largest US telecoms group, this week paid $4.4bn to buy AOL, seeking to gain a foothold in the rapidly growing market for advertising on mobile devices.
Shine表示,该公司正与多家运营商合作,其中包括一家拥有至少4000万用户的运营商。不过,该公司拒绝透露这些运营商的名字。
Marketers will spend almost $69bn this year on mobile ads — more than triple the sum they spent two years ago — according to research group eMarketer.
一位欧洲运营商主管确认,该公司及其他几家同类公司正计划从今年开始封禁广告。