housegroover Posted September 8, 2003 Share Posted September 8, 2003 When Microsoft Corp unveiled a multimillion-dollar makeover of its MSN software last autumn, the company had nine million subscribers and a $US300 million ($A468.38 million) marketing campaign designed to draw hordes of new customers. It didn't quite work out the way Microsoft envisioned. Today, the software company has 400,000 fewer MSN subscribers than it did a year ago. But Microsoft is hoping its newest version of MSN - which is being released to beta testers - will help recapture customers who have graduated from slower dial-up services offered by MSN in favour of high-speed or "broadband" connections offered by cable and telecommunications companies. The new MSN, which will be available by year's end, is focused on offering tools and services that would appeal to those with high-speed connections. The biggest enhancements are MSN's new tools for digital photo enthusiasts, which let them search photos more easily, insert pictures into a slideshow with music and more quickly send and receive pictures as small, compressed files. MSN also is offering new features to let subscribers view and manage multiple email accounts. Users can also choose to share their online appointment books with one another, so that co-workers, friends and family can check one another's calendars to schedule outings. "I'm impressed by the direction and sense of where it's going," he said. "They (Microsoft) seem to finally grasp the fact that it needs to be a strategic part of Microsoft." Full Story: http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/09/...2901969667.html Source: The Age Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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