Microsoft has relaunched its flagship portal MSN, and will now rely entirely on third parties for content, with a new look designed to appeal to a growing mobile audience.
MSN has struck content deals with around 1,000 local and international publishers including Buzzfeed, The New York Times, Yomiuri Shimbun, The Guardian, The Hindustan Times, The Nation, Malaysian Insider and The Jakarta Post to supply the site.
Under the slogan, ‘Know more, do more’ the new MSN has been redesigned to work on any device, and with content that can be personalised to suit the user’s interests; it can feature tools such as hotel booking engines, shopping list generators and flight checkers, and social networks such as Twitter and Facebook.
“While content is at MSN’s core, Microsoft’s DNA is about empowerment. The new MSN marries the two, bringing together deep content from over 1,000 premium publishers together with experiences that help people live fuller lives regardless of which device they choose,” said Steve Lynas, Regional Director at MSN. “We’ve completely reimagined the experience to embrace this opportunity. And because it’s a single platform, once you personalise to your lifestyle and interests you get the same experience everywhere seamlessly – no matter what devices make sense for your life.”
The new MSN is one of the first major milestones after Satya Nadella took over from Steve Ballmer as CEO.
MSN has 425 million users globally, and just under 100 million in Asia.
“Consumer behaviour is changing faster than ever before. As the number of touch points for engaging with media have multiplied, so too have the contexts in which we consume it. The newly launched MSN fundamentally reflects this shift,” says Owen Sagness, General Manager of Microsoft Advertising & Online, UK. “Combining premium content with productivity tools we have created a platform that gives consumers the information they want whilst being able to get stuff done. It’s through this proposition that brands and advertisers are opened up to many more opportunities to engage and reach audiences across multiple screens through MSN and our broader portfolio.”