• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, May 15, 2007

Broadband Enterprises this Thursday plans to officially launch its own ad serving platform, named Vindico, which will directly compete with services offered by DoubleClick and aQuantive's ad technology unit Atlas.

The online video network said it was readying Vindico for launch back in January, several months before Google announced plans to acquire DoubleClick for $3.1 billion.

Also on Thursday, during its virgin upfront presentation, Broadband Enterprises will present advertisers with five original Web-exclusive series, along with an extension of its existing series, Cube Fabulous.

Among the new shows is a fake instructional show dubbed "Anatomy of a Socially Awkward Situation"; "The Fantastic Two," a series that follows two fantasy sports rivals; and a soap opera named "Scuba Sun".

Vindico provides advertisers and their agencies with control over the deployment, assignment, and scheduling of both video and banner ads across broadband networks--including the one operated by Broadband Enterprises--letting advertisers self-manage their campaigns down to the site and individual file level.

"Our goal is to create a virtual video marketplace, which can be managed without human contact," Bryon Evje, chief operating officer of Broadband Enterprises, told OnlineMediaDaily.

At least 12 advertisers quietly began testing Vindico last year, according to Evje; two of them are now paying for the service. He also said several licensing deals with major television and newspaper publishers are in the works, but declined to name any.

The company is tracking all campaigns, using its in-stream ad-tracking system to record key metrics like impressions, reach, user interaction, and time spent. This tracking data is collected in real-time and formatted for immediate review in Broadband Enterprises' online reporting interface.

Late last year, DoubleClick and Atlas released competing video-ad systems. Dart Motif for In-Stream, DoubleClick's service, is intended for publishers, and complements the company's existing video ad division, Klipmart, which is aimed at agencies and advertisers. (DoubleClick acquired video services company Klipmart last June.) Atlas's video ad-serving technology, meanwhile, is aimed at both publishers and advertisers.

Both the Interactive Advertising Bureau and Media Rating Council have agreed to accredit Vindico, under the guidance of auditor PriceWaterhouseCoopers. The process is expected be completed by July.