Michael Tuminello, VP of Publisher Products Recognized For Work to Unify Video Measurement With VAST 4.1

NEW YORK, Feb. 12, 2019  — Michael Tuminello, VP of Publisher Products at Integral Ad Science (IAS) has been honored with the IAB Tech Lab Service Excellence Award for outstanding contributions to VAST 4.1 video specifications. The award recognizes IAB Tech Lab member companies and individuals for their noteworthy work on IAB Tech Lab initiatives over the past year.

Digital video ad spend totaled $27.8 billion in 2018 and is projected to grow by double digits every year through 2021, according to eMarketer. A majority of that spend is targeted toward mobile and new video platforms including OTT, as consumer behaviors shift. Deloitte reports that more than half (55%) of U.S. households now subscribing to at least one video streaming service. As advertisers evolve their plans to reach consumers, standardized mobile and video measurement solutions become more critical.

As a founding member of the IAB Tech Lab Open Measurement initiative, IAS has partnered with key industry stakeholders and the IAB Tech Lab since 2016 to advance measurement standards. VAST 4.1 incorporates the Open Measurement standard for web as the mechanism for measuring web VAST inventory. The Open Measurement initiative has been successful for mobile, and IAS is dedicated to ensuring VAST 4.1 has the opportunity for industry-wide adoption.

“I am thrilled to receive the IAB Tech Lab Service Excellence Award. VAST 4.1 paves the way for adoption of OMID for video and sets the stage for standardized measurement of video across all devices, including OTT.  The next step is for publishers and video broadcasters to transition away from VPAID and embrace the cross-device OMID model. We know buy-side and sell-side will ultimately benefit by leaving VPAID behind and IAS is ready to help our advertiser and publisher clients make the move when ready,” said Tuminello.

VPAID, the existing primary standard measurement used for video, has become a liability for publishers and end users over time because of latency and performance issues. VAST 4.1 solves for those challenges by improving the video experience for consumers while allowing advertisers to measure their video ads; ultimately expanding their ad spend.

“The digital video space has certainly evolved tremendously since 2012 when VAST 3.0 was released,” said Dennis Buchheim, SVP and GM of the IAB Tech Lab. “The need to support cross-platform ad delivery and measurement, server-side ad insertion, and enhanced workflow – along with the drive towards transparency – led to a refresh of VAST that, coupled with Tech Lab’s Open Measurement initiative, will spur innovation in video advertising. The industry’s leading companies came together to develop VAST 4.1, and we’re grateful for their contributions and commitment.”

IAS is committed to working closely with the IAB Tech Lab to advance initiatives like the OM SDK in mobile and video that continue to move the industry towards more comprehensive measurement solutions. For more information on IAS or our work, email press@integralads.com.

About IAS

Integral Ad Science (IAS) is a global technology company that offers data and solutions to establish a safer, more effective advertising ecosystem. We partner with advertisers and publishers to protect their investments, capture consumer attention, and drive business impact. Founded in 2009, IAS is headquartered in New York with global operations in 13 countries. Our growth and innovation have been recognized in the Inc. 5000, Crain’s Fast 50, Forbes America’s Most Promising Companies, and I-COM’s Smart Data Marketing Technology Company. Learn more at www.integralads.com.

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