Microsoft is now selling on-deck display inventory on Verizon's Ad Network on a cost-per-click basis.

Microsoft hopes to increase accountability and maintain a high level of performance through this move. Not only that, but Microsoft has responded to user requests for third-party independent verification systems by providing Atlas DMT and DoubleClick DART to clients.

"The cost-per-click and cost-per-action options should be welcomed by advertisers with conversion goals who may have been reluctant to try mobile advertising on a cost-per-thousand basis," said Neil Strother, analyst at Forrester Research, Kirkland, WA.

"Now they have a performance-based option, something they are familiar with in online," he said.

Microsoft is also offering a variety of frequency capping options for any display media running on the Verizon Wireless Ad Network.

Microsoft claims that the goal of this initiative is to provide its advertisers with greater control over their mobile advertising investments.

"Advertisers can now maintain the strictest of frequency goals across multiple on-deck browsing sessions, which will provide Verizon Network advertisers with a powerful tool for maximizing campaign reach while limiting creative burnout," said Jamie Wells, global director of trade marketing and mobile advertising solutions at Microsoft Advertising in his blog post.

Additionally, Microsoft will be heading up the management and optimization of Verizon Performance campaigns on a continual basis.

Both Microsoft and Verizon recognize that with these new targeting capabilities comes the responsibility to protect the privacy of the consumer.

For this reason, neither Microsoft nor Verizon will be collecting or storing any personally identifiable user information.

"All of this should be welcome news for advertisers with clear conversion goals such as those in the travel, financial services, content and ecommerce verticals, just to name a few," Mr. Wells said.

"Advertisers can now more clearly define and evaluate mobile campaign ROI, as well as easily make informed adjustments to their media mix while campaigns are in progress," he said.

Along with the new targeting capabilities and cost-per-click implementations, Microsoft is also bringing online-grade accountability standards to its Verizon Ad Network display inventory using Atlas and DoubleClick DART.

Microsoft claims that by using the same tools to manage both online and Verizon Ad Network mobile display campaigns, advertisers will be able to apply all the same standards and trafficking procedures they are familiar with online to their mobile ad campaigns.

"Not only will third party impression and click performance tracking bring increased confidence and transparency to mobile media campaigns running on the Verizon Wireless Ad Network, but it can also help make managing mobile campaigns easier, more efficient and less taxing on internal resources," Mr. Wells said.

"Combining online and mobile campaign management systems also brings with it the additional benefit of integrated online and mobile reporting, which will make integrated Microsoft Media campaigns all the more straightforward," he said.

Mobile Marketer's Jordan Crook interviewed Microsoft's global director of trade marketing Jamie Wells.

Here is what he had to say:

What's the news here?
While frequency capping is certainly an important aspect of this agreement, we feel that providing vide advertisers with the ability to use the same third-party tracking tools -- Atlas Media Console and DoubleClick DART that they've used for years online now on the Verizon mobile network is a big step forward. Advertisers have long valued the ?independent' voice they get from 3rd party ad tracking online. Now advertisers can use the same reporting structure for multi-screen campaigns, including online and mobile.

Why launch this offering on Verizon?
Verizon Wireless is the largest wireless carrier in the U.S. and we believe this relationship will grow our mobile search user base substantially, and help us accelerate market acceptance and adoption of mobile advertising. This is the first time that we are offering this capability on the combined Microsoft-Verizon mobile platform. Verizon Wireless is one of the first networks to implement these capabilities and as a result we are able to provide advertisers with a sizeable, quality audience.

What opportunities will be available to marketers and advertisers because of these changes?
As noted, by providing advertisers with the ability to use the same third-party tracking tools -- Atlas Media Console and DoubleClick DART that they've used for years online now on the Verizon mobile network is a big step forward. Advertisers have long valued the ?independent' voice they get from 3rd party ad tracking online. Now advertisers can use the same reporting structure for multi-screen campaigns, including online and mobile.

What challenges will this address and for whom?
By utilizing the same tools to manage both their online and Verizon Wireless Ad Network mobile display campaigns, agencies and advertisers can now apply all the familiar standards and tracking procedures to mobile that they've used online, which will save time, money and agency resources in managing this.

Is this the beginning of a trend of carriers moving into the mobile advertising marketplace full-throttle? Why or why not?
Yes, Verizon is one of the first mobile networks to do this. We imagine other networks will begin to follow suit.

Should the ad networks be worried?
I would say that there are other 3rd party ad networks out there who claim they have the breadth and reach of a high-quality mobile audience, however, the combination of Microsoft's ad network and all of our owned and operated sites together with Verizon's wireless network - the largest in the US - is a very powerful platform to deploy mobile advertising and marketing solutions.