Advertising Platform TapSense Backtracks on Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s Watch Integration

TapSense, which just launched its brand new Advertising Platform for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) Watch has announced that deployment of the same would be delayed. Detracting it earlier announcement, TapSense reported that it will be able to offer services only after Apple Inc announces the developer kit for integration of the platform for the Apple Watch.

TapSense innovation

TapSense unique marketing platform for the Apple Watch brings the concept of placing ads on Watches, similar to ads on mobiles. However, the changes here would be specific as the advertising platform would target, “hyper-local targeting and Apple Pay integration.”

Therefore, advertisers can soon promote their local offers by way of ‘hyper’ location-tracking on the yet-to-be released Watch.

The fact that the Apple Watch is yet to be released leaves much room for making an impression by TapSense.

At the same time Apple users’ have raised concerns about privacy issues. Users have begun to voice on various forums, the wide-ranged access that hyper-local marketing can mean to privacy of users. Apple’s efforts to ensure user privacy through its various policies are now being questioned by users.

TapSense offered the retraction via its blog. In the post the company clarified that the advertising intentions may well be blocked by present guidelines set for developers by Apple Inc. Besides, the lack of specific guidelines for Apple Watches also means that the curve to implement the advertising platform is much longer.

As part of the clarification, TapSense remarked that the current developer kits of Apple Inc, the WatchKit SDK as well as TapSense SDK are in Beta Phase. The APIs are likely to be changed in the near future. TapSense added that, when Apple WatchKit guidelines are released, TapSense will review it and build its own SDK in line with it. TapSense proposed that the compliance as well as approval of the SDK by Apple Inc would be the key.

In the current phase, the WatchKit APIs allow for integration of Glances and other notifications. However, there are no specifications for full screen Watch apps, development.