Intrinsic has been the managed service provider for the Alliance from the outset, and has invested in providing an outsourced operations and billing function during that time. The deal will see AOP remain a licensee for the Alliance, and they will provide continued support and goodwill.
Intrinsic will be reviewing the current offering, and in conjunction with the needs of both the publishers and buyers will work to deliver a proposition that has evolved in line with new technologies and trading practices, says AOP.
The Alliance will remain powered by Appnexus and Symmachia Ltd, and will continue to work with yield optimisation experts Alephd. There is expected to be further announcements on who the Alliance will partner with to offer a comprehensive header bidding solution as well as contextual, data and rich media third party partnerships.
The Alliance will also continue to be managed by Julia Smith, who acted as GM for Symmachia Ltd since its formation, and consulted for the AOP throughout the process. Following on from the announcement of the acquisition, Smith has been named as Board Advisor for Intrinsic Europe.
“AOP created the Symmachia Alliance on the request of its members and we put the resources and skills behind setting up what has been an incredibly complicated but promising Alliance. The AOP is not a commercial business and it feels like the right time to step away from managing and running a commercial enterprise. We believe that Intrinsic are the natural partner to acquire the Alliance, and ensure it continues to be developed and managed by a relevant and experienced company,” commented Tim Faircliff, Chair of AOP.
Mark Butt, Founder of Intrinsic Europe said: “The acquisition of Symmachia Ltd further enhances Intrinsic’s position as a leading independent programmatic specialist. We are excited to continue working with the AOP and its members to develop new products to bring to market. Having worked with the Alliance since its formation, we are a natural fit to lend our vast experience and technological capabilities to Symmachia and its members.”
