Advertisers’ calls for cross-device targeting capabilities appear to have been answered with the unveiling of Xaxis Sync, the GroupM trading desk’s multi-screen technology that lets media buyers purchase ads on viewers’ mobile devices coordinated with commercials running on their televisions screens.

Xaxis Sync uses video identification technology to capture and analyse metadata about television spots airing on more than 2,000 channels across. For instance, when a spot runs, Xaxis is able to use this metadata as a trigger to deliver complementary ads on viewers’ smartphones or tablets that run within 2 seconds after the start of the TV spot.

Ads can run across both in-app and mobile web inventory, and has been trialled by Xaxis subsidiary Bannerconnect – which it purchased in February – in partnership with Civolution in the Netherlands, UK and Italy, according to the WPP outfit.

This also comes in the wake of the recent Xaxis, 24/7 Media merger, which saw Caspar Schlikum claim the newly created role of Xaxis EMEA, CEO.

ExchangeWire attempted to contact Schlikum for comment on the launch but he was unable to respond by time of publication. However, in a press release announcing the launch, Brain Lesser, Xaxis, global CEO, said: “Multi-screen is increasingly how global consumers watch television and it’s become crystal clear to broadcast advertisers that they need to develop a coherent strategy for engaging these viewers

“Xaxis Sync meets consumers where they are, bringing the reach and accuracy of real-time programmatic to second-screen advertising across the most trafficked apps, mobile properties and websites.

The launch of Xaxis Sync should offers advertisers greater reassurance that their highly-priced TV ads are not being wasted, as consumers increasingly engage with either their smartphones, or tablets devices while watching TV.

Recent research from eBay revealed that over 60% of UK TV audiences engage in such behaviour – commonly referred to as “dual screening” –  and the trend is posing every tier of the digital media sector with challenges in an increasingly ‘cross-screen world’.

This issue has been discussed by the ExchangeWire community with columnist Gareth Davies, CEO of Adbrain, discussing how advertisers can use statistical IDs to build a holistic audience profile.

“This way we can connect mobile users with other devices, to create a single cross-device audience ID, and in return more relevant and impactful ads for consumers, not to mention a greater share of the digital ad dollar,” reads the piece.

Furthermore, the rise of ‘cross-screen consumers’ is presenting advertisers with how they attribute commissions of their media buys, with the term ‘fractional attribution’ becoming an increasingly common terms used in conversations around retargeting.

As the industry enters a multi ecosystem work, where potentially eight media companies dominate such as AOL, Yahoo, Apple, Facebook, Google, AOL, Yahoo, Amazon dominating, there are calls for standardised ID for cross platform targeting, to help ensure more competition in the sector.