ABCi Partners to Provide Mobile Usage Stats

In the US, ABCi, the digital wing of the Audit Bureau of Circulations, has entered a partnership with mobile media solutions provider Handmark to provide detailed, audited mobile usage statistics for publishers and advertisers.

Handmark offers an end-to-end mobile publishing and advertising solution supporting application development, strategic distribution, monetization and on-going innovation. It serves platforms from iPhone, BlackBerry and Android to e-readers and other tablets like the iPad. ABC, an association formed by North America's leading magazine and newspaper publishers, advertisers and advertising agencies, says it has reviewed and approved Handmark's mobile application platform, and stresses the need to broaden its audit services to reflect the new multiplatform publishing environment.

According to ABC President and MD Michael Lavery, 'The burgeoning mobile market, paired with promising mobile advertising forecasts expected to top $3.3 billion by 2013, present a strategic opportunity for the publishing and advertising industries. We are pleased to work together with Handmark and its partners to provide independent verification of app usage to facilitate this burgeoning and important channel.'

Evan Conway, Handmark EVP of Marketing, comments: 'A mobile app is no longer a luxury for publishers and media brands, it is a necessity.'

Web sites: www.handmarkmobileapps.com and www.accessabc.com .