There’s been a lot of coverage around Demand Side Platforms in 2009 and this year will be no exception. The European online display market is fragmented, and can be a nightmare to buy across. DSPs aim to bring order to the chaos, and offer advertisers and agencies the opportunity to buy across multiple platforms and inventory sources.

Despite the arrival of the new Google ad exchange there is a consensus in the industry that no one platform will dominate the market. The online display market will be very much about partnership, and Demand Side Platforms will look to stitch together ad inventory from disparate sources for the European buy-side.

So who are the main DSPs operating in the European market? The following is a list of third-party DSPs and agency platforms, trading across European ad exchanges, ad marketplaces and "dark pools":

Third-Party Buying Platforms

MediaMath

MediaMath was one of the first ad-tech companies to offer a universal buying platform for advertisers and agencies. It introduced Terminal One late last year, a self-service platform that allows agencies to buy across multiple exchanges and networks. But much of the European agency market will require a service model in the first instance, due to lack of experience and resource. MediaMath is well placed to offer this service model. The company is due to lunch its service in the UK and Europe at the start of this year.

Invite Media

Yet another US-based DSP set for a 2010 launch in Europe. Invite Media was the first company to offer a platform for advertisers and agencies to buy across all the major US exchanges and networks. They also have a strong service model, which will help the company attract buy-side traders. It will be interesting to see how MediaMath and Invite Media will approach the market here – especially in the UK. Will they look to establish partnerships with the agencies to offer their technology – or will they pitch to get on the media plans of some of the biggest accounts? I think one of the big draws of these platforms will be the disintermediation of ad nets and access to quality inventory. Education of the market will be the key to success for both Invite Media and MediaMath in 2010. Invite Media are due to launch this month.

The Right Media DSP

Yahoo has a DSP? It doesn’t make sense. But Yahoo has the technology to help agencies to buy across the ridiculous number of inventory sources in the European market. They have already started conversations with some of the big media buying agencies, and can easily compete with the two new arrivals.

The Google DSP

The feeling is that Google will not dominate the display market the way they did with search. It will take a big chunk of the market, but ad inventory will be available across multiple sources. You will see private exchanges, publisher exchanges (such as Admeld, Rubicon and Improve Digital) and super exchanges (like RightMedia and DoubleClick AdX). A DSP might be a good strategic buy as it looks to attract more spend from agencies and advertisers.

Other potential DSP 2010 arrivals: AppNexus, Dataxu and Turn

Agency DSPs

Vivaki

Vivaki is Publicis’ buying platform. Vivaki buys inventory on behalf of ZenithOptimedia, Starcom and Digitas. It is a big trader on the European ad exchanges. Vivaki leverages its agency data to improve campaign performance across the exchanges and networks. Agencies are becoming very possessive about data, and are looking for ways to go around the ad nets. Vivaki is one agency’s answer to protecting data and improving margin.

Other European agencies you’re likely to see more DSP action from in 2010: Infectious Digital, Efficient Frontier, Havas and WPP.

The space is going to become very competitve, and the DSPs will play a big role for the buy-side in 2010. An interesting year lies ahead of us.