• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, January 6, 2017

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) said Friday the Tech Lab will take responsibility for governance of the Mobile Verification Open-Source Software Development Kit (SDK) initiative, formerly managed by Integral Ad Science (IAS).

The goal is to "simplify mobile viewability measurement for app publishers and establish better user experience for consumers," the IAB said. This marks the first acquisition for the new IAB Tech Lab Tool Repository, which will host tech tools that benefit the industry. 

The Mobile Verification Open-Source SDK was introduced late last year. It allows app publishers to measure their mobile inventory without integrating multiple SDKs from various partners.

"The open-source solution will also improve user experience by reducing the load time necessary to run verifications against numerous SDKs," Alanna Gombert, SVP, technology and ad operations, IAB, and GM, IAB Tech Lab, wrote in a blog post.

The IAB Tech Lab will work with IAS, alongside representatives of Ansible, Conversant, Google, InMobi, Lenovo, Médiamétrie, Moat, MoPub, OpenX and The Trade Desk, as well as the 4As and the Media Rating Council.

Other member companies are welcome to take part in the initiative by joining the IAB Tech Lab Coalition for Open Measurement, Gombert added.

The IAB Tech Lab expects to release the initial version of the SDK in the first half of 2017.