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OpenX the large neutral online ad server for website publishers, recently announced OpenX Market, an independent marketplace which allows publishers the ability to directly connect with advertisers in order to sell their ad inventory. Similarly, the service also helps advertisers (either directly or through ad agencies) access targeted ad inventory.

Publishers using the system can define minimum prices for their ad impressions and the OpenX Market then runs a real-time auction among advertisers for each impression. If the winning bid from the auction is higher than the publisher-set minimum price, the higher paying ad is served and the publisher makes more money. If the winning bid is less, the publisher’s original ad runs.

Advertisers have access to OpenX’s large pool of over 150,000 publisher websites and OpenX publishers as well as non-OpenX publishers are invited to participate in the market. Advertisers can also set targeting parameters on ad space, including user frequency, contextual categories, and technical/browser settings. Also, version 2.8 of the OpenX Ad Server directly integrates with OpenX Market letting publishers running the ad server easily participate in the Market via a plugin.

Check out addition information on OpenX at TechCrunch.

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Back when the Internet was young there were all sorts of schemes to monetize content and sell digital goods. One of the most talked about was the concept of micro-payments, where users would be charged incrementally based on how much content they consumed.

The idea never really caught on. And ever since, micro-payments have remained on the back burner for a host of reasons, including lame technology, lack of interest from big media and the difficulty convincing consumers to pay for info in a “nickel and dime” fashion.

But content has a long history of being paid for by end-users (magazines, books, etc.). And in today’s challenging ad environment, coupled with the realization that almost all media is (or will soon be) digital and interactive, publishers are again looking at micro-payments as a way to shore up diminishing bottom lines.

SILICON ALLEY INSIDER had an interesting piece yesterday on a number of media veterans who’ve come around to the conclusion that some type micro-payment solution has to be included in the mix—as well as a number of other observers who think it will never happen.

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Robert Scoble has an interesting article about Brownbook.net paying users to add data to their business directory.

Here’s an exerpt;

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Dave Ingram, CEO of Brownbook.net, had a business problem: how can he build a world-wide business directory, but one with much more up to date info than any database that exists so far?

Well, he’s paying people who add data. He and co-founder Marc Lyne explains how it works in this video.

Already they are seeing 40% growth per month and tons of new businesses added all over the world. Can’t argue with that.

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• Elevator Pitch: Brownbook battles for the online directory space