Apple prefers HTML5, which it uses in its new iAd platform for rich media ads on mobile devices.

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Rich media ads also had much higher prices than traditional ads, she said.

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Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft's entertainment and devices division, said the number of cell phones that can receive rich media ads is going to triple in the next couple of years.

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It also has upgraded its DoubleClick Studio, which helps ad agencies create video and other rich-media ads.

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Rich media mobile ads include elements that people can interact with in some way, for example by tapping the screen to move a character in a game or swiping it to reveal a hidden image.

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The underlying promise is to provide companies a rich set of offer content, a marketing engine capable of reaching customers over multiple channels including email, SMS, social media and ads, an integrated transactional platform, and a rich data and analytics engine to optimize targeted delivery of offer content all within company branding.

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