Apple is looking to step up its apps business in the Latin American market by partnering iAd with media and marketing firm IMS.

iAd was first introduced in 2010 and is Apple’s app business, providing advertisers with access to ad space on its iPhone and iPad devices.

By partnering with IMS, any business wanting to sell ads though Apple’s platforms in Latin America will now have to go through the Miami-based company.

Gastón Taratuta, chief executive and founder of IMS, said: “We are thrilled to help brands with a Latin American presence navigate Apple’s comprehensive advertising platform.

“With this partnership, advertisers will not only be able to access the fast growing digital and mobile markets in Brazil and Mexico, but also target Apple consumers in these regions for the first time.”

According to a statement released on the IMS website, the iAd expansion “will begin in Brazil and Mexico”, two of Latin America’s fastest growing markets, with IMS acting as Apple’s exclusive representative.

Although iAd only holds a minor share of the mobile ad market, Apple has been showing signs in the past year that it wants to get serious about this business.

In November last year, Apple announced that it would be partnering with automated advertising company Rubicon Project, allowing advertisers to buy ads using programmatic buying. A few days later, it also announced that digital marketing tech company MediaMath would be integrating its services into the iAd platform.