Nokia picks up app analytics firm Motally amid mobile ad industry shakeup

Nokia says it intends to adapt Motally’s app analytics offering so developers who work on the Qt, Symbian, Meego and Java platforms can use the technology to track how people use their software.

Marco Argenti, vice president of media, said: “The acquisition underpins Nokia’s drive to deliver in-application and mobile web browsing analytics to Ovi’s growing, global eco-system of developers and publishers, enabling partners to better connect with their customers and optimise and monetise their offering.”

Currently Motally’s analytics platform only works with apps designed for Apple’s iPad and iPhone, BlackBerry devices, and phones running Google’s Android operating system. Nokia says it plans to continue serving Motally’s existing user customer base.

Motally is based in San Francisco and employs eight people. In March former Nielsen Mobile executive John Forese (pictured) was appointed CEO. The start-up firm is backed by venture capitalist house BlueRun and angel investor Rob Conway.

Financial terms of Nokia’s takeover offer have not been disclosed. The deal is expected to close during the third quarter.

News of the acquisition follows a report in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal that said BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIM) is shopping for a mobile advertising network, and had been in talks – now stalled – to purchase Millennial Media, which also provides app analytics thanks to its purchase earlier this year of TapMetrics.

According to the report, RIM is apparently keen to keep pace with rivals Google and Apple, who own the AdMob and Quattro Wireless ad networks respectively.

But in a further twist to the story Apple today announced that it was closing the Quattro network to focus on its recently-launched iAd advertising platform.

In a note posted on the Quattro Wireless website, Apple said: “We believe iAd is the best mobile ad network in the world, and starting next month we’re going to focus all of our resources on the iAd advertising platform. We are no longer accepting new campaigns for the Quattro Wireless Network, and we will soon begin winding down existing campaigns. As of 30 September 30 we will support ads exclusively for the iAd Network.”