“Microsoft seeks to make headway on its online competitors by beating them in the mobile device advertising race.”
Redmond, Wash., — Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday at the inauguration of its annual online advertising conference — advance08 -– announced the availability of display ads across its popular Windows Live services on mobile devices. The company also announced it will expand its advertising plans to include its Live Search Mobile service.
“Now advertisers in France, Spain, the U.K. and the U.S. can extend their advertising campaigns by creating banner ads that will be visible across Windows Live Messenger and Windows Live Hotmail,” Phil Holden, director of mobile Web services, said in a blog post regarding the conference Tuesday.
The event symbolizes for the first time that mobile advertising has took on a leading role at the industry business that brings together some of the most significant members of the global advertising community.
Lately, Microsoft has been hindered ostensibly regardless of which way it has turned in the online advertising business. If nothing else, however, Microsoft is tenacious in pursuit of any goal it views as important, and it’s clear from the three-month battle to buy Yahoo outright that gaining advertising dominance fits those criteria.
Nevertheless, the mobile display advertising arena guarantees to be no less competitive than online markets -– and the field of players includes all the usual suspects.
Google, for example, made a similar announcement last month, inviting AdWords advertisers to display banner ads instead of only text on mobile phones. Entering the fray of an already crowded market with Yahoo, AdMob and Third Screen, which is now owned by AOL, are among other companies that also display banner ads on mobile phones.
“We think mobile is a tremendous opportunity going forward,” said Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft’s entertainment and devices division. Just about 150 million of the 1 billion phones expected to be sold this year will have the capability to display rich advertising, he said. But that number is expected to triple, so that in a few years 400 million to 500 million phones would able to receive audio and video advertising will be sold each year, he said.
The company is now expanding that to Windows Live Hotmail and Windows Live Messenger, Brian McAndrews, senior vice president of Microsoft’s Advertiser and Publisher Solutions group, said in a statement. McAndrews came to Microsoft last year when the company bought out his firm, aQuantive, for $6 billion.
Furthermore, the company said it has started beta testing mobile advertising on Live Search Mobile in the U.S., enabling advertisers to use Microsoft’s adCenter to design ad campaigns. The beta will be expanded in the second half of the year. Microsoft also announced that Windows Live for mobile services is now available in 49 markets.
This is developed upon Microsoft’s initial launch of mobile advertising for MSN Mobile in France, Spain, the U.K. and the U.S. where mobile ads are available alongside premium MSN Mobile content. Advertising on Windows Live for mobile is already available in Spain, and later this month will be available in Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, further extending its availability for advertisers. All ads placed on these two popular services will adhere to Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) guidelines.
“In today’s well connected world, the mobile device is emerging as a prime opportunity for advertisers to reach their audience,” said Brian Arbogast, corporate vice president of Mobile Services at Microsoft. “This announcement is evidence of our commitment to providing advertisers with further opportunities to connect and engage consumers throughout their ‘digital day’ — at home, at work and on the go across multiple platforms, devices and geographic regions.”
Those interested in trying out Microsoft’s mobile Web services such as Windows Live for mobile, MSN Mobile and Live Search Mobile can visit http://www.mobile.msn.com from a mobile device with an Internet browser. Advertisers who want more information on how to advertise on MSN or Windows Live for mobile can go to http://advertising.microsoft.com.
Speakers at Microsoft’s advance08 conference this year include company chairman Bill Gates, political writer Arianna Huffington, film director James Cameron, and former Disney head Michael Eisner.