AOL Advertising Executive David Jacobs Selected for IAB Service Excellence Award

AOL Inc. (NYSE: AOL) today announced that David Jacobs, Senior Vice President of Publisher Services at Advertising.com, has been selected for an Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Service Excellence Award presented at IAB’s fourth Annual Leadership Meeting in La Quinta, CA., for his contribution to the Networks & Exchanges Quality Assurance guidelines.

"IAB brings together the top innovators in the industry and we recognize the credibility and prestige that IAB Service Excellence Awards represent,” said Jeff Levick, President of Global Advertising and Strategy at AOL. "We are proud that David’s leadership, insight and dedication to advancing the interactive advertising business are being recognized with this distinguished award.”

The IAB created the annual IAB Service Excellence Awards to recognize outstanding leaders who have driven advancements for the interactive advertising industry throughout the year. AOL’s Jacobs has been selected for his work in drafting the Networks & Exchanges Quality Assurance guidelines, a document that standardizes networks and exchanges information, and enhances buyer control over the placement and context of advertising, thus providing brand safety. These guidelines represent the end of an 18 month-long process of creating a new industry standard that provides transparency and brand controls to advertisers. More than 20 companies have already agreed to self-certify against new IAB standards.

"The winners of this year’s Service Excellence Awards have worked rigorously to help the IAB with a variety of efforts shaped to promote growth and drive the entire industry forward,” said Michael Theodore, VP Member Services for the IAB. "These awards recognize the dedication and leadership it takes to address important issues and create change. The IAB congratulates AOL’s David Jacobs for his achievements and thanks him for his contributions.”

IAB is composed of nearly 500 member companies, 17 IAB Councils and Committees, and dozens of working groups and task forces. Thousands of IAB members volunteer their time to help shape the interactive advertising business, its standards, guidelines and best practices, as well as provide educational outreach to the marketplace.

"It has been a privilege working with such a talented group of industry leaders on improving the Networks & Exchanges Quality Assurance guidelines,” said Jacobs. "I am honored to receive an IAB Service Excellence Award and to have been a part of developing new guidelines that will ultimately benefit the entire interactive advertising industry.”

Jacobs oversees the continued growth of third party publisher partnerships with AOL Advertising's industry-leading network, Advertising.com. He has held a number of different positions since joining Advertising.com in 2000. While heading-up Strategy and Business Development, Jacobs led AOL’s acquisition of Lightningcast. He also played a key role in the creation of Advertising.com Japan, a joint venture with the Japanese firm Mitsui, in December 2006. Jacobs speaks regularly at industry conferences and has authored industry pieces which have been included in publications such as ClickZ.

About AOL

AOL Inc. (NYSE: AOL) is a leading global Web services company with an extensive suite of brands and offerings and a substantial worldwide audience. AOL's business spans online content, products and services that the company offers to consumers, publishers and advertisers. AOL is focused on attracting and engaging consumers and providing valuable online advertising services on both AOL's owned and operated properties and third-party websites. In addition, AOL operates one of the largest Internet subscription access services in the United States, which serves as a valuable distribution channel for AOL's consumer offerings.

About the IAB

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is comprised of more than 460 leading media and technology companies who are responsible for selling 86% of online advertising in the United States. On behalf of its members, the IAB is dedicated to the growth of the interactive advertising marketplace, of interactive’s share of total marketing spend, and of its members’ share of total marketing spend. The IAB educates marketers, agencies, media companies and the wider business community about the value of interactive advertising. Working with its member companies, the IAB evaluates and recommends standards and practices and fields critical research on interactive advertising. Founded in 1996, the IAB is headquartered in New York City with a Public Policy office in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit www.iab.net.