VAST is designed to allow companies to build digital video players and video ad servers that have the same interfaces and speak the same standard language.
Publishers who use the standard will be able to plug into multiple third-party digital video ad servers and networks without additional development, and therefore, in theory, enable a better tool for improving yield.
The document defines a standard ad response for in-stream video, provides specifications that are compatible with any video player framework, and includes guidance for most on-demand video players.
It also includes accommodations for linear video and interactive ads, as well as non-linear ads such as clickable overlays.--Gavin O'Malley