Dubai
The older-generation web portals are fighting back. Rather than leave all of the trend setting in the digital space to new entrants or social media giants, the pioneers are reinventing themselves to put up a challenge and score with viewers and advertisers.
It was last month that Microsoft’s MSN unveiled a brand new look to its portal, “reimagining MSN from the ground up for a mobile-first, cloud-first world, as both a completely new web experience and a range of great news apps, already available on windows and soon across iOS and Anroid devices as well,” said Justin Dewhirst, Area Executive Producer for Online Media and Publishing at Microsoft. (Traditionally, MSN consumption has taken place predominantly via desktop PCs.)
“With audiences moving to a cloud-first, mobile-first world, we realised users wanted to access MSN increasingly on mobiles and tablets as well in a user-friendly manner. We want our audiences to enjoy MSN instantly wherever they are across various platforms through the new MSN experience. Microsoft is also very much focused on localising the experience to each of the major markets in the region.”
The portal estimates its user base at 425 million across 57 markets. In this region, inroads were made by offering up an Arabised version. Partnerships exist with multiple content providers — CNN Arabic, Layalina, ArabsTurbo, Sky News Arabia and Aljazeera, while a deal with SyndiGate allows access to a mix of news, views, images and video from 100 plus publishers and content providers from the region. “The Arabic version has been tailored to the needs of audiences in specific Arabic speaking countries with more localised and personalised content,” said Dewhirst.
So, what more has changed at MSN with the new incarnation? “The new MSN focuses on the primary digital daily habits in people’s lives, helping them complete tasks on the web and across all of their devices and personalised settings to keep users in the know wherever they are,” said Dewhirst. “We’re expanding our services to more places and more people through apps, while also giving our current user base a fresh MSN which we believe will grow audience engagement.
“We want people to come to MSN because they have very highly relevant and personalised services. Naturally this will lead us to signing up more partners in the Middle East to increase the level and variety of content.”
On content sourcing MSN has effected a sharp turn from past practices. “MSN is stepping back from its tradition of producing content and leaving this to its various content providers — the new MSN draws from over 1,000 sources from which our editors curate,” said Dewhirst.
And the chances that MSN could become a more “dynamic” entity for its user base through features such as e-tailing, for instance? “Our approach is a very dynamic one, keeping in mind that people’s interests do change every day,” said Dewhirst. “With demands on technology and gadgets ever growing, audiences will always yearn for more content and services.
“Our innovations are largely driven by the needs of audiences, and the more we see particular areas that our audiences are interested in, we will have to engage relevant potential partners that are ready to provide us not only with more content but also new sections.”
