• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, March 4, 2009

In the latest geographic expansion of its ad business, AOL has launched Platform-A Canada to make it easier for advertising clients in the country to manage ad buys across the Web portal's network.

The move essentially merges the AOL Canada media network, which spans AOL-owned properties and third-party sites such as Canadian Driver, into Advertising.com. The combination gives Platform-A an audience of 22.5 million unique monthly visitors in Canada, reaching 93% of the online audience there.

"With the scale and reach of our network, Platform-A Canada offers a cost-effective way for marketers to reach their targeted audiences at scale through the delivery of highly engaging and effective advertising for maximum value and results, which is crucial in today's economic environment," said James Prudhomme, senior director for Platform-A Canada, in a statement.

The new unit will also offer other services for Canadian publishers including ad-serving technology AdTech and Quigo's AdSonar sponsored link network. Previously, AOL has launched country-specific versions of Platform-A for Germany, France and the U.K.

AOL also announced Wednesday that it has extended its ad partnership with online investment firm Scottrade to encompass properties including AOL Money & Finance, Walletpop.com, Bloggingstocks, and for the first time, AOL News. As part of the deal, Scottrade will also be a featured broker on AOL Money & Finance.