• by Tyler Loechner  @mp_tyler, November 6, 2013

Microsoft is expected to Wednesday announce the addition of Windows 8.1 and Outlook ad inventory to the Microsoft Advertising Exchange. Esco Strong, Microsoft's director of display marketplaces strategy, is expected to make the announcement at the AppNexus Summit in New York.

The Microsoft Windows 8.1 Advertising SDK will be available on the Microsoft exchange starting in Q1 2014. The Windows 8.1 inventory will be available in IAB ad formats and sizes.

The Outlook inventory will be available much sooner — November 18. Careful to ease privacy concerns before they arise, Strong noted the addition of Outlook inventory on the exchange will not change Outlook's consumer privacy policy. 

"This will effectively double the impression volume on the Microsoft Advertising Exchange," Strong wrote in a blog post explaining the inventory additions.

Furthermore, the software giant plans to double their exchange footprint globally in the coming months.

"This will be a phased roll out, with some Western European markets launching this year, while others will be launched in Q1," Strong explained. "We will announce individual markets as they are rolled out over the next several months."

Rounding out the company's big day of programmatic announcements, Strong shared that Microsoft is working on improving their mobile inventory and buying and selling methods.

"We know that our current RTB offerings can be improved when it comes to mobile," he admitted. "We're looking at ways to standardize our mobile exchange to create more value for consumers and advertisers across Windows Store apps and Windows Phone. You should expect to see more from us and our AppNexus partners in the coming months."

The company also recently invested in programmatic direct, which is a highly automated way of carrying out direct deals between media buyers and sellers.