Advertising.com, PhoneOnline.com Team for B2B Wireless Ads

Ad firm Advertising.com on Wednesday joined with PhoneOnline.com, a wireless software developer, to bring business-to-business advertising to wireless device users.

The deal, of which financial details were not disclosed, calls for PhoneOnline.com to make available ad space on the WAP sites it hosts for clients with mobile workforces. Advertising.com will round up advertisers, provide the ads themselves and serve those ads.

“PhoneOnline.com has impressed us with their conversion of legacy data to WAP format and wireless accessibility; it’s a perfect complement to our advanced WAP delivery technology,” said John Ferber, co-founder and chief Internet officer of Advertising.com.

“We are confident that our partnership will help us line-up advertisers who want to target very specific, vertical markets.”

Although a number of companies are working to develop wireless ads, and are building wireless networks, most have been consumer-oriented. The business-to-business market, though, may be a big one, as mobile workforces — like delivery people, for example — are expected to become big users of emerging wireless technology.

Phoneonline.com will offer an advertising-subsidized package to new and to existing clients. Those who agree to allow marketing messages to be delivered to their wireless devices will receive their service at a discount.