Apple to Shutter Underperforming iAd App Network June 30th

Through a message that's kept as succinct as possible, Apple has announced that it will be pulling the plug on the iAd App Network on June 30. If this service doesn't sound familiar, don't fret: it was designed for developers to allow advertising in their apps for other apps. If you just launched a new app, for example, you could promote it through other apps to gain exposure. A simple mechanic, but one that apparently hasn't delivered the results Apple would have liked to have seen.

"The iAd App Network will be discontinued as of June 30, 2016," Apple writes. "Although we are no longer accepting new apps into the network, advertising campaigns may continue to run and you can still earn advertising revenue until June 30. If you’d like to continue promoting your apps through iAd until then, you can create a campaign using iAd Workbench."

It's interesting to note that if you've advertised an app through the iAd App Network service before, you can continue to do so. You are unable to promote a brand-new app, however, if it was not already advertised through this system.

Ultimately, this shuttering could mean that Apple is planning to relaunch with an even grander scope, aiming to take on services like Google's AdSense, which is easy for publishers to deploy, and just as easy for advertisers to sell through. While iAd App Network was dedicated to promoting apps, it could be that whatever comes from this shuttering will allow users to promote more than just that.

One thing that's clear is that Apple doesn't like to shutter services that make money, so it seems likely that a replacement is in fact en route. We could just be too far out at the moment to expect an announcement. We'll eagerly await to see what becomes of this.