Microsoft injects Facebook into MSN in facelift for aging portal |
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Microsoft injects Facebook into MSN in facelift for aging portal
Microsoft tonight is rolling out an overhaul of MSN.com that's enough of a departure from the past to come as a mild shock to longtime users of the venerable Internet portal. But if they're Facebook users, they might just feel right at home.
The Redmond company is revamping the site by moving away from dark colors, updating the Butterfly logo, focusing more intently on local news and information, and eliminating a bunch of the clutter at the top of the page by replacing links with drop-down menus. The new site also aims to point more people to the company's Bing search engine.
But for many users, the most interesting change will be the incorporation of Facebook news feeds and Twitter updates into the MSN home page, letting people read and post on the popular social networking sites directly from the Microsoft portal.
The arrangements are an extension of agreements that Bing recently announced with Facebook and Twitter. They're also a major nod to the rise of social networking sites -- which have replaced traditional portals such as MSN as a starting point for some Internet users.
"My hope is that it's going to get people to come back to the page multiple times a day," said Scott Moore, MSN executive producer. "For people that are Facebook users, checking Facebook is an integral part of their day. Well, now we just saved them from having to go to Facebook every time they want to check in."
[Follow-up: Video: Guided Tour of the New MSN]
It's a risk for Facebook, which is apparently betting that the exposure will be worth more than the lost traffic. Yahoo also has added Facebook access to its home page, but it's activated only by hovering over a tab in the left-hand sidebar, whereas MSN is adding Facebook and Twitter directly onto its home page.
Microsoft has an advertising partnership with Facebook, and a minority stake in the company.
To get a sense for the major change in design, here's a thumbnail comparison of the old and new MSN home pages. The new version will be rolled out gradually in the coming months, with only a fraction of MSN users seeing it initially. The new version will also be visible to everyone in the U.S. at preview.msn.com.
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