Is there a True DSP?

by DMG Team February 8 , 2010 12:03

By Gilad Hellerman, CTO

As an ad network we have been struggling to make some sense in all these new technological platforms and their relationships and evolution.

I see the "adserving" as just one piece of the puzzle, where DSPs and exchanges are additional pieces which can be separated or integrated in one product.
In this case, a "true DSP" (if it can even be defined) is actually a platform that is able to efficiently buy large amounts of media in various platforms and in various buying methods (mainly offline and real-time).

Billing format and transparency are just good business practices and in no means a part of a definition of a "true DSP".
A true DSP should refrain from being involved in the actual bidding process, thus negating all conflicts of interest (even if he owns media) or excess need of transparency. If the price is good for the advertiser (or agency or ad network) he should buy the impression regardless of who makes how much money in the process.

To me a true DSP is measured by its capability to:
1. Buy large amounts of media (reach)
2. Buy this media efficiently (how much media can one media buyer buy)
3. Facilitate an intelligent selection and pricing of media to buy

Read our CTO's Gilad Hellerman commnetary on today's AdExchanger.com column:
"Not Every Demand-Side Platform (DSP) Is Created Equal: What Is A True DSP?"

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