As we all know mobile usage has been ramping up quite nicely to the point where mobile usage should surpass desktop usage within the next few years. App makers and content creators alike have been struggling to generate meaningful revenue on mobile, partly because the old way of doing things simply doesn’t work. In the past, advertisers could reach users by targeting ads based on cookies and opt-in information provided by the users. Sadly for these advertisers and the publishers who serve the users, this hasn’t been very easy to do on mobile.

Apple’s new iOS 6 could be a huge game changer for publishers and advertisers alike. Within the new operating system, Apple has now created something akin to a “persistent cookie” that can then be used by app makers and developers to target individuals with better mobile ads while not jeopardizing the individual’s privacy. Privacy is built in by design in that Apple offers its users to select “Limit Ad Tracking” if they don’t want anonymous usage information to be compiled on them.

Hopefully the new IDFA system will give publishers the revenue generation opportunities that they are use to seeing outside of mobile while also giving advertisers the confidence to continue to put spend towards mobile. The push towards the mobile web is inevitable; for publishers and advertisers, its a matter of staying ahead of the curve to derive value from mobile.