According to a report from analyst firm Berg Insight, mobile ads will account for 4.4 percent of total global ad spend across all media in 2017. The company pegs the total value of the global mobile marketing and advertising market at approximately $5.0 billion in 2011. This figure is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 31 percent to $26.0 billion in 2017, which would be 4.4 percent of total global ad spend or 15.5 percent of the total online advertising market, according to Berg Insight. “As the digital convergence blurs the differences between devices, the definition used for mobile advertising is that it comprises the digital ads exposed on a mobile handset screen,” according to Berg Insight. The report notes that Google and Apple hold strong positions in the mobile ad space, with Microsoft and Yahoo offering “fierce competition.” Berg Insight also notes that Facebook may become an important player by combining advanced user targeting with innovative mobile ad formats. Facebook recently paused a test of a platform where it would place its ads on other developers’ mobile apps and websites. (Berg Insight)