Apple axes Quattro mobile ad network

Apple is no longer accepting new campaigns on Quattro, which it bought for $275m (£171m) in January, and said it will wind down existing campaigns on the network.

In a statement on the Quattro Wireless website Apple said, “We believe iAd is the best mobile ad network in the world, and starting next month we’re going to focus all of our resources on the iAd advertising platform.”

The news comes in the week new media age revealed Apple had begun trailing iAd in the UK ahead of its full roll-out next month.

Apple is banking on iAd to be the dominant mobile ad network. It launched in North America earlier in the summer, with brands including Nissan and Chanel first on board.

However, its roll-out has been met with mixed reviews, with industry insiders saying its payment model is confusing, while reports suggest some US brands have been reluctant to advertise.

IAd takes Apple head-to-head with Google, which itself is significantly growing ad opportunities across the mobile web following its acquisition of AdMob. Last week a Gartner report said smartphones using Google’s Android operating platform have a greater market share that Apple’s iPhone for the first time.