AOL announced on Wednesday that it is launching a global Innovation Lab for AOL Networks, as well as some product enhancements for its cloud-based Pictela platform.

“The Lab will bring together top tier advertising tech talent from AOL Networks and marketing brand and technology executives to solve core business challenges they face in the ad technology space,” says AOL’s Ed Barnes, Senior Director, Product & Engineering at Pictela and AOL Networks. “The goal is to run hackathon style collaborations and deploy a creative solution within a 48-hour timeframe that delivers on the clients marketing business objectives, using AOL’s mix of scalable solutions, technology and platforms. The lab aims to challenge the status quo in internet advertising by delivering premium, industry first solutions for brands at scale.”

New Pictela features include real-time control, cloud-based collaboration and better custom creation of ads.

“Pictela has always been distinguished by its library of premium, award-winning templates (like the IAB’s Rising Star formats including the 300×1050 Devil unit) that can be used to launch rich ads quickly and easily-no coding required,” says Barnes. “Now, Pictela also provides a platform for bringing custom formats of any size to life, allowing valued in-house developers and designers to automate some of the more basic and mechanical aspects of ad building so that they can shift their focus to creative innovation.”

There’s a new browser-based workflow tool for designers, producers, clients and others for real-time testing and approval.

More on the changes here.

Earlier this week, AOL announced that it has completed its acquisition of Adap.tv, which is now part of AOL Networks alongside PIctela.