Microsoft Unveils Online Advertising Service

jwb4273 writes "Microsoft has released another weapon in its battle against Google. Steve Ballmer has announced today that Microsoft's web properties (MSN, Live, etc.) will no longer use Yahoo!'s advertising services, and will instead use Microsoft's new advertising platform 'adCenter'. For wanting to go in together with Yahoo, this seems like the wrong start for a good relationship."

Still no competitor to AdSense

[DaHat]

While anyone with a website or blog can sign up for AdSense and add it to their page... the same cannot yet be said for adCenter as for now it is only for Microsoft (and close partner) web properties.

Re:Ads in Office?

[Anonymous Coward]

you paid $1200 for that flatscreen that does nothing but show you ads. you pay $80 monthly for cable to get a whole bunch more targeted ads.

Why not do it now?

Re:Location, Age, Gender, and Level of Wealth?

[Bert690]

From the article: "AdCenter will give advertisers sophisticated information about consumers, including their location, age, gender and sometimes, their level of wealth."

Could MS be misusing all of that registration data they have been collecting? Or have they silently added another few hundred lines to their EULA / TOS?

Yep, especially considering that 87% of U.S. citizens can be uniquely identified by Zip+Gender+date of birth (see Sweeney, Uniqueness of Simple Demographics in the U.S. Population, 2000). They may as well be handing over your full name too.

Re:Non-IE Customers Not Wanted

[DevanJedi]

It gets worse- if you try to report the problem here: http://support.adcenter.msn.com/ [msn.com] and you click on the link that says "I am having difficulty creating an account" it takes you to an Email support form that *requires you to enter your adcenter ID*. I thought I just told you I was having trouble creating an account and now you *require* my adcenter ID? Some people just don't want my business...

Just lost me

[pen]

Microsoft just lost me as a customer in yet another market: Microsoft adCenter does not currently support the web browser you are using. Please sign in using Internet Explorer 6+.

Re:Non-IE Customers Not Wanted

[jbash]

Not only that, but IE on a Mac doesn't work. You can only access MSN's Adcenter using IE with Windows.