The Facebook Update; Microsoft Exchange Expands; Google Shuts Down Another Experiment

Here’s today’s AdExchanger.com news round-up… Want it by email? Sign-up here.

The Facebook Update

Facebook’s long-awaited announcement regarding updates to various components of its website finally came yesterday. In revealing new apps around “open graph,” site users will be able to create even more connections around everyday goings on such as “I’m eating”, “I’m reading AdExchanger.com” and so on, through a ticker – a more lightweight news feed. Facebook also announced new solutions around movies, music and news. It will be interesting to see if these new content partners can make some decent revenue on FB. Companies like Zynga already have quite well, of course. This could be the start of a new ad network-like model which runs behind the login and offers a rev share to publishers who share content on Facebook. Next among new product features is a timeline – read about it on the FB blog. And, read the AllFacebook live blog of CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s speech. The more Facebook learns about the user, the better it is able to provide them with the content they want and keep them on the Facebook mothership. Read even more on The WSJ (subscription).

Investigating Google

On Wednesday, a U.S. Senate panel grilled Google Chairman Eric Schmidt reports ClickZ’s Zach Rodgers who adds that even though some Senators were conflicted about Google, others, such as Utah’s Mike Lee, were not. Rodgers reports that Senator Lee “took his criticism the farthest, calling on Google to voluntarily change the way it promotes its own products – for instance by guaranteeing it does not penalize websites that are competitive.” It still doesn’t feel that there’s been a tipping point in the U.S. anti-trust case against Google. Read more.

Microsoft Exchange In Europe

At this week’s Ad Trader Summit in London and dmexco event in Germany, Microsoft was out talking up its ad exchange. Microsoft’s Dennis Buchheim writes on the Microsoft AdVertising blog, “Today, we’re pleased to announce that our ad exchange is now live in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, following launches in the US, UK, Canada and the Netherlands earlier this year.” Microsoft continues to plow forward with its supply-focused mantra. Read more on the Microsoft Ad blog.

Focus Group Fun

Compass Labs (AdExchanger.com Q&A from 2010) announced its new social platform called Compass Labs IQ platform (CLIQ). According to a release, “Compass Labs allows advertisers to transform advertising into an ongoing dialogue with customers, and harnesses social networks as responsive, real-time focus groups.” Yes, really.

AdReady Adding Agencies

Demand-side platform AdReady announced yesterday that it has added a few more small-to-mid-size agencies to the client roster for its “AdReady For Agencies” display ad solution. Everybody is getting a piece of the programmatic pie. Read more.

Mothballs And Ecommerce

On the Google Commerce blog, the company announced it’s mothballing Boutiques.com, it’s try at an Ecommerce portal targeting women and the fashion industry. Burak Gokturk, Like.com Co-Founder and member of the Google Commerce team, explains, “We’re taking the features that shoppers absolutely love from Boutiques and incorporating them into Google Product Search.” Google is going back to its search roots rather than continue to try and provide a compelling Ecommerce destination site. Read more.

But Wait. There’s More!