Microsoft launches MSN adCenter
{{date|September 26, 2005}}

[[Image:Logo adcenter.gif|right|300px]]

[[w:Microsoft|Microsoft]] announced today the official launch of [[w:MSN|MSN]] '''adCenter''' in [[w:France|France]] and [[w:Singapore|Singapore]]. '''adCenter''' allows advertisers to target specific demographics using information provided by Microsoft's [[w:Hotmail|Hotmail]] and [[w:Passport|Microsoft Passport Network]] users.

"The launch of adCenter in France and Singapore is a great first step to delivering on our global vision to connect advertisers to consumers in a much more meaningful way," said Yusuf Mehdi, senior V.P. of MSN Information Services & Merchant Platform.

Advertisers will be able to target ads based on geographic location, gender, age range, time of day, and day of the week. If MSN has no information on the visitor it will display ads based upon keywords. Additional features include a cost estimator and a site analyzer that will recommend keywords based on the content of the advertiser’s website.

MSN currently has a contract for Yahoo ads that runs through 2006, and they are expected to slowly phase them out, although MSN has not confirmed this.  

'''adCenter''' has been in testing in France and Singapore since March. Testing in the US will begin in October. Microsoft plans to eventually sell ads on websites outside of MSN.

This initiative is a part of a broader strategy that Microsoft has launched to compete against [[w:Google|Google's]] AdWords service, in operation for several years, which allows advertisers to bid on specific keywords and ensure ad placement on the company's search engine and other online properties. Microsoft's chief executive vowed to "kill Google" in an expletive-laden tirade against the firm, according to US court documents filed by Google.

Many internet users choose to block web page advertisements from both Microsoft and Google, using several different techniques of [[w:ad filtering|ad filtering]], such as [[w:adblock|adblock]] in the [[w:firefox|firefox]] web browser.

== Sources ==
*{{source|url=http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=13718&hed=Microsoft+Launches+Ad+Network
|title=Microsoft Launches Ad Network
|author=
|pub=Red Herring
|date=September 26, 2005}}
*{{source|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/09/26/yourmoney/msft.php
|title=A Microsoft response on search engine ads 
|author=Saul Hansell 
|pub=International Herald Tribune 
|date=September 26, 2005}}
*{{source|url=http://www.betanews.com/article/MSN_adCenter_Moves_Out_of_Testing/1127742531
|title=MSN adCenter Moves Out of Testing
|author=Ed Oswald
|pub=BetaNews
|date=September 26, 2005}}
*{{source|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4213466.stm
|title= Microsoft-Google battle heats up
|author=
|pub=BBC News Online
|date=September 4, 2005}}

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[[Category:Microsoft]]
[[Category:Internet]]
[[Category:France]]
[[Category:Singapore]]
[[Category:Economy and business]]
300px

Microsoft announced today the official launch of MSN 'adCenter' in France and Singapore. 'adCenter' allows advertisers to target specific demographics using information provided by Microsoft's Hotmail and Microsoft Passport Network users.

"The launch of adCenter in France and Singapore is a great first step to delivering on our global vision to connect advertisers to consumers in a much more meaningful way," said Yusuf Mehdi, senior V.P. of MSN Information Services & Merchant Platform.

Advertisers will be able to target ads based on geographic location, gender, age range, time of day, and day of the week. If MSN has no information on the visitor it will display ads based upon keywords. Additional features include a cost estimator and a site analyzer that will recommend keywords based on the content of the advertiser’s website.

MSN currently has a contract for Yahoo ads that runs through 2006, and they are expected to slowly phase them out, although MSN has not confirmed this.  

'adCenter' has been in testing in France and Singapore since March. Testing in the US will begin in October. Microsoft plans to eventually sell ads on websites outside of MSN.

This initiative is a part of a broader strategy that Microsoft has launched to compete against Google's AdWords service, in operation for several years, which allows advertisers to bid on specific keywords and ensure ad placement on the company's search engine and other online properties. Microsoft's chief executive vowed to "kill Google" in an expletive-laden tirade against the firm, according to US court documents filed by Google.

Many internet users choose to block web page advertisements from both Microsoft and Google, using several different techniques of ad filtering, such as adblock in the firefox web browser.
Microsoft Internet France Singapore Economy and business