Millennial Media, the largest independent mobile ad network that hasn’t been acquired yet by Apple, Google or a number of other players, is looking to boost their presence in this area.  Always making an appeal to mobile developers, Millennial Media announced the latest update to its mmDev developer portal in its blog. Developers now have access to two new features: test device recognition and App Store sync.

“We want to make it as fast and easy as possible for developers to integrate our SDK and test−without impacting user experience. With this updated process, developers can register the unique identifier of up to 100 devices to receive Millennial Media test ads. Developers have the flexibility to register or remove test devices at any time.”

The introduction of the second feature now allows developers to sync their App Store account with their Millennial Media account. This means copying a new app’s description or an update to that of an existing one, syncing a screenshot, etc. only requires them to insert an App Store URL into their account interface.

This latest upgrade is the second recent update to mmDev, following a lengthier revamp of the portal. A My Apps Dashboard front-page was added, along with an interface for cross-platform advertisers, improved reporting and a new design.

the tools Millennial launches for its network are in continued response to the mobile market.  Mobile ad spending is growing at a pace that is closely following the shift from feature phones to ‘smart’ devices.  Millennial Media’s latest SMART report confirms this growth, breaking down marketing verticals based on targeting methods and other factors. It seems that the automotive industry is investing the most in this area, topping the charts across site search, store locator, mocial (or mobile social) and map views.