Programmatic advertising, adtech, RTB (real-time bidding), ad exchanges, and ad automation ? but at the end of the day they all relate to the use of software-based platforms to automate the buying and selling of advertising. Google is far and away the programmatic leader in online advertising. As a result of savvy acquisitions (e.g., Admeld, Invite Media, DoubleClick, etc.) and internal product development, Google today has leading solutions for both the buy- and sell-sides of the digital ad marketplace, and the scale and breadth of offerings to address most needs in the market.
For Google's adtech business, the key questions investors are asking include: 1) How much of a threat does Facebook and its
new initiatives/acquisitions such as Atlas, FAN (Facebook Audience Network) and LiveRail represent for Google?; and 2) How is Google evolving its adtech business as the market moves from a predominantly desktop- and cookie-based medium to more of a mobile Internet- and mobile app-based medium?
