Oracle and Adobe invest in cross-device identity

To enhance the results of this project, Oracle partners with device identity company Drawbridge and Adobe builds a co-op for current clients to share anonymized device ID information.

Drawbridge analyses multiple information associated with a large number mobile phones, laptops and other devices that come in through calls from ad exchanges showing a devices operating system, location, and time of day the interaction occurred. Kamakshi Sivaramakrishnan, Drawbridge Founder and CEO, says they can start constructing how many times different sets of devices are seen at a given time and location. For instance, the same user in a particular place is associated with multiple devices, which are then labeled with a specific anonymized identifier. This approach is used to link devices across a wider range of people.

Adobe will take a different approach to device identification in its planned Cross-Device Cooperative, which will be available in beta this year. Adobe clients that agree to belong to the co-op will support one another determine when a consumer is associated with multiple linked devices. For instance, when a user visiting a travel site belonging to the co-op logs in to the site online via a desktop computer, then later checks trip dates using a mobile device, the system can identify those devices as connected and belonging to the same user.

Adobe states the only data shared in the co-op is the fact that two or more devices are linked to an anonymized person, and co-op members must have a relationship with the consumer already in order to take advantage of the device linking information.