To All: From Bloomberg-
Technology Newsÿÿ Thu, 23 Jul 1998, 9:06pm EDT
Microsoft to Unveil Web Portal to Make Money Off the Internet
Microsoft to Unveil Web Portal to Make Money Off the Internet
Redmond, Washington, July 23 (Bloomberg) -- Microsoft, the top software maker, said it will unveil a ''portal'' Web site this summer that more closely links its various sites to create a bigger audience for advertisers and greater use of services by users.
Called MSN.com, which stands for Microsoft Network, the portal site will generate revenue from transaction fees, subscriptions and advertising, said Peter Higgins, group vice president for Microsoft's interactive media group. In a presentation at the company's financial analyst meeting, Higgins said Microsoft wants to drive more traffic between the various sites and more strongly brand them with the Microsoft name.
Portals are web sites consumers use to enter the Internet. These cyberspace hubs attract advertising dollars because they receive heavy traffic by computer users. Microsoft is losing money on its Web sites, which range from the MSNBC joint venture with General Electric Co.'s NBC to the Expedia site for travel reservations and the CarPoint car-buying site. The Redmond, Washington-based company said it is making progress and following the portal examples of Yahoo and Excite will help. ''We will make money,'' Higgins told analysts. ''The trend is in the right direction.''
The company may be ''tempted to invest more'' in its Web sites and to ''move the target for profitability,'' Higgins said. By the end of the summer Microsoft is likely to make announcements about a partnership in the area of electronic commerce and about a search function that will be part of the portal site, Higgins said. |
