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DMGT's digital division, A&NMedia/Digital (A&NM/D), is now selling unsold digital inventory on The Independent's website.

This inventory was previously sold by AdLink, which will continue to sell dedicated brand campaigns on the website.

The Independent shares a number of back-office functions, including IT, security and payroll, following its cost-saving move into DMGT's Northcliffe House.

The Independent and The Independent on Sunday are understood to lose around £10m a year and Denis O'Brien, a 26% shareholder in parent company IN&M, has called for executives to offload the titles.

The addition of The Independent inventory follows the announcement of a deal for A&NM/D to sell ads across Hellomagazine.com and is part of a plan to widen A&NM/D's offering to advertisers.

Andy Mitchell, group commercial director for A&NM/D, said the addition of Independent.co.uk is "part of a wider strategy from A&NM/D to compete against the portals and networks".

Bill Swanson, managing director (digital), The Independent, stressed the firm will continue to use AdLink, but said the new partnership was "an obvious first step" in generating efficiencies between IN&M and A&NM/D now they share the "same physical space".

AdLink will remain the sole distribution point for branded inventory at Independent.co.uk.

Swanson did not rule out A&NM/D selling any other digital inventory for The Independent in the future, but said it was important not to cause confusion and there were no immediate plans to do so.