AdTruth, the digital media division of global device recognition technology firm, 41st Parameter, has released the results of the first in a series of AdTruth Workgroup meetings held in San Francisco on 2 May, and in Munich on 9 – 10 May.

18 companies representing the breadth of the digital and mobile advertising ecosystem attended the workshops. They included major advertising and marketing agencies, mobile app developers, ad networks and exchanges, demand side platforms (DSPs), data providers, ad serving technology companies and major publishers, who came together to discuss the tracking, targeting and privacy challenges they face, and to find out how AdTruth can help address them. Attending companies included InMobi, King.com, MdotM, Mojiva, On Device Research, Razorfish, Smart AdServer, Somo Global and StrikeAd.

The technology behind AdTruth, developed by its parent company, 41st Parameter, has been around for eight years, and has received $39m of investment to date. It is used as a fraud prevention solution by major banks, retailers and airlines, among others.

AdTruth has now developed a version of the technology to use as a mobile device identifier which has due regard for consumers’ privacy, and is looking to provide a nuanced solution for the media industry. The company says that version 1 of the solution has been tweaked for the media industry, but not dramatically.

“We staged these workshops because we realised early on that there was a benefit in tapping in to the wisdom of the crowd,” AdTruth VP and managing director James Lamberti tells Mobile Marketing. “The way our technology works, we need multiple players in the ecosystem, from all parts of the ecosystem, to be using it. As we started talking to people, we saw everyone pointing at the next guy, so we realised we needed to get a group thing together to grow. There was no exclusivity about the companies who got involved in this first wave, and we look forward to welcoming them, and new participants, in future waves.”

Lamberti says that the response from the participating companies demonstrates the pain being felt across the advertising ecosystem and the need for a new, device-neutral approach that builds on the display/desktop past, while looking ahead to a more dynamic and mobile future.

The first wave of AdTruth Workgroup meetings focused on the deployment of a mobile universal identifier. Three main areas of focus emerged from the Workgroup session. Not surprisingly, privacy is a pivotal issue for participants in both the US and Europe. Increased regulatory scrutiny and growing public attention have made the issue central to any discussion of digital marketing. While privacy is an ever-present concern, the participants were able to work together to establish a viable path forward.

Second, the group discussed the operational approach to a universal ID that would effectively enable all use cases in mobile advertising, from basic frequency capping to advanced targeting to performance tracking. Finally, deep product discussion focused on continuous improvements to accuracy and longevity as an ongoing focal point for the Workgroup.

Paula Connard, media director at Razorfish, who attended the Workgroup, says: “Our clients rely on us to remain ahead of the curve and provide them with new ways to create effective experiences. The AdTruth Workgroup has provided food for thought that is extremely valuable.”

Anothee attendee, Sourabh Niyogi, co-founder and president/CEO at MdotM, adds: “MdotM compared install attribution accuracy levels from multiple device tracking vendors over the last six months and found that AdTruth delivered the highest accuracy for tracking iOS installs. We are happy to incorporate AdTruth as a key component of our UDID-less universal tracking solution.”

Finally, Carl Uminski, co-founder and chief operating officer at Somo Global, concludes: “Having opportunities to explore and exchange ideas is always valuable. It’s been especially valuable to get perspectives from other estuaries of the ecosystem. AdTruth is clearly committed to helping the industry recognise and resolve some of its most daunting challenges.”

Lamberti says the plan now is to hold additional Workgroups every three or four months, with the possibility of themed Workgroups looking at ad exchanges or desktop. “I am guessing a lot of the same companies will join us, and hopefully a lot of new ones,” he says. “Over the next few weeks, we will be releasing case studies to prove the effectiveness of the solution as the data comes in.”