Facebook today announced that its Facebook Exchange platform is coming out of beta today with 15 partners authorized to buy ad inventory through real-time bidding. Given that Facebook controls 25% of the display ad inventory on the internet, according to comScore, the availability of FBX is expected to have a significant impact not just on Facebook, but on the overall advertising ecosystem.

For now, the exchange works as so: when a user visits a site that has hired one of Facebook’s partner platforms (DSPs), a cookie will be placed on that user’s browser when the person reaches a stage that implies purchase intent. If a user does not complete a transaction, the DSP will be able to bid on retargeting ads that appear on Facebook when the user visits the social network.

Facebook is working with the exchanges of a generous number of partners, including AdRoll, AppNexus, Brandscreen, Criteo, DataXu, MediaMath, Nanigans, Kenshoo, Optimal, RocketFuel, Tellapart, TheTradeDesk, Triggit, Turn, Xaxis, and X+1. The company says that through these partners, advertisers can access capabilities like multi-touch attribution, view-through conversions, global frequency capping, day-parting, and creative optimization. The most obvious application, though, is retargeting.

Recently added to the list of demand-side platforms approved for FBX is Kenshoo. Kenshoo joins Nanigans and Optimal as existing Ads API partners also authorized for FBX. However, in its current state, advertisers cannot combine Facebook’s demographic- and interest-based targeting with their own cookie data. This limits the potential for creative optimization, though many advertisers expect Facebook to allow this at some point in the future.

If you are looking to get started on this lucrative opportunity on Facebook – Check out this overview guide and contact your preferred DSP or agency trading desk to get started. Facebook Exchange partners include AdRoll, AppNexus, Brandscreen, Criteo, DataXu, MediaMath, Nanigans, Kenshoo, Optimal, RocketFuel, Tellapart, TheTradeDesk, Triggit, Turn, Xaxis, and X+1. For the most up to date list of Facebook Exchange partners, visit the Preferred Marketing Developer directory, click “more options” and select “Facebook Exchange through real-time bidding.”