Ad Ops Daily Brief: August 22 2008

OpenX announces opportunities for OpenX publishers to try Microsoft’s new contextual ad network
At this stage, Microsoft’s new network for publishers is only available by invitation, but OpenX has secured a very limited number of invitations for OpenX publishers with U.S.-based websites. To be eligible, your OpenX-powered website must have primarily US based audience and English language content. You will also need to have a valid US Social Security number or Tax ID.

Executive joins Whrrl team to drive monetization strategy
Whrrl, the location-aware social discovery service from Pelago, Inc., announced the appointment of John Kim as Vice President, Advertising Products. Kim will be charged with managing the monetization strategy of Whrrl’s unique community-engagement model for retailers, local advertisers and other business partners.

CRM magazine announces winners of 2008 CRM Market Awards
With this year’s awards, the magazine expanded its scope to a record 10 categories. In each, the magazine named one Market Winner, denoting the highest score compared to its peers. Each category also produced four Market Leader awards and a “One to Watch.”