Microsoft to Offer Advertising On... Everything, Including Windows Mobile?

[Janak Parekh]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2006/sep06/09-24AdWeekPR.mspx' target='_blank'>http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/...24AdWeekPR.mspx</a><br /><br /></div><i>"At Advertising Week 2006, Microsoft Corp. will announce the worldwide launch of Microsoft® Digital Advertising Solutions in a move that combines the company’s broad set of global advertising products and services into a unified offering for advertisers. Microsoft Digital Advertising Solutions is designed to connect advertisers with their target audiences across such devices as PCs, Xbox® video game systems, Web-enabled mobile phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs)."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/parekh-20060926-MSAdvertising.gif" /><br /><br />The PR reads just like any PR at first, until you realize what Microsoft is doing: they're building integrated advertising vehicles to all of our Microsoft-branded consumer solutions, be it PC, Xbox, Office, MSN, Windows Live, Windows Mobile, Microsoft TV, etc.. Now, I understand the basic idea -- integrate the advertising mechanism behind one program -- and this makes sense for things like MSN or Live, which are <i>free</i> content that are ad-supported. But the other possibilities worry me tremendously. What does <a href="http://advertising.msn.com/future-products">Microsoft say for ads on Windows Mobile</a>? <!><br /><br /><i>"Let your target audience know about your hot new products by sending interactive image or text ads right to their wireless devices. Look for information about the wide range of future advertising options available through Windows Mobile."</i><br /><br />8O<br /><br />I'll say this: if this service isn't <b>opt-in</b>, I will be very one unhappy camper. Let's hope Microsoft is planning this carefully and doing their best not to alienate their loyal customers who are <b>giving them money</b> via Windows Mobile licenses. Unfortunately, there are no more details on this particular advertising venue; we'll just have to sit and wait and see what they have in store.

[CTSLICK]

I can see it now...a Windows Mobile device with ads will be offered cheaper than one without it. Can you IMAGINE how badly cell phone service providers (i.e. Sprint, Cingular, Verizon etc) will abuse this business model? MS needs to be careful when peeking into this Pandora's Box.

[stlbud]

This isn't anything new. Look at all the software ads that came with Windows 95. It wasn't just Microsoft products either. Windows 98 brought new ads for ISPs. I will object if it cannot be turned off and if it takes precious memory away from useful tasks on my PDA.

[beq]

With expanded advertising reach and profiling centralization, will Microsoft start to suffer Big Brother fears like Google?

I'm interested in what Yahoo will do (ex. continued partnerships)...

[SteveHoward999]

This could be as scary as the suggestion earlier this year that adverts could be sent to your phone as you pass nearby a billboard or whatever.

Simple fact. I ***hate*** being advertised at.

If it transpires that this really means that I could have a new device with pushed advertising, or an older device without the imposition, then the choice is simple.

:soapbox:

[whydidnt]

I'm hopeful they just plan on allowing advertising to push ads via LIVE! on the device. If they are planning on adding more bloat to this "mobile" OS just so they can push unwanted ads my way - they will have succeeded in pushing me to Symbian, Linux, or SOME other OS for my mobile device.

[SteveHoward999]

http://advertising.msn.com/future-products

The highly integrated Windows Mobile software platform provides a variety of options to help users connect with the people, information, and entertainment that matter most to them—anytime, anywhere. Let your target audience know about your hot new products by sending interactive image or text ads right to their wireless devices.

Hmmmmmmm ....

[Gerard]

Don't they remember how unpopular the AOL email client was, when it was embedded in ROM in PPC2000 devices? Or at least it was in my Casio E-115. It was a source of embarrassment and annoyance to me, and I remember many postings in the early forums from new users BEGGING for instructions on how to get rid of that filth. The sad answer, that it was impossible to remove, always raised hackles.

If Microsoft wants to go the way of the cheezy PC vendors, who practically cripple 'economy' PCs with all the dozens of spyware and adware programs choking the startup folder and system tray, there is going to be a backlash. When consumers pay for devices, they want to have a sense of ownership. That's partially taken away when an advertiser's nonsense is right there, hogging screen space and memory, filtering the user's experience constantly. Bad idea.

[Jason Dunn]

This is making a mountain out of a molehills...advertising doesn't come into existence on it's own, it comes from the content publishers. People like me are the gateways that say "yes" or "no" to putting different ads into our content.

[kaiden.1]

Well, I guess we will all have to see what happens, but if it is what we are all thinking.........I can go back to an older device or PALM! BUT I WILL NOT be advertised to without wanting it!

[whydidnt]

This is making a mountain out of a molehills...advertising doesn't come into existence on it's own, it comes from the content publishers. People like me are the gateways that say "yes" or "no" to putting different ads into our content.

However, there is a big difference between me voluntarily visiting your site and viewing/clicking on ads and MS adding bloat to their OS so that you can send me ads without my persmission. I personally feel there are plenty of other areas MS could be working to improve the OS rather than spending limited resources to add a feature very few end users want.

[Jason Dunn]

...and MS adding bloat to their OS so that you can send me ads without my persmission. I personally feel there are plenty of other areas MS could be working to improve the OS rather than spending limited resources to add a feature very few end users want.

While I didn't ask specifically about this at Mobius, I can tell you that I didn't hear anything about future versions of Windows Mobile having blinking ads built in. ;-) I don't think you have anything to worry about.

[Janak Parekh]

While I didn't ask specifically about this at Mobius, I can tell you that I didn't hear anything about future versions of Windows Mobile having blinking ads built in. ;-) I don't think you have anything to worry about.
Well, the brief description on their "upcoming" page clearly refers to ads being "pushed down" to WM devices. Maybe this will be an MMS-based advertising service, or maybe it'll be something else. It's still not clear to me what it's going to end up as... for all we know, it could be a Today plugin, for instance, and that wouldn't require significant OS integration.

--janak