Research Group Turns Attention Online

Joint research by Microsoft Research (MSR) and MSN will focus on grabbing a larger share of the burgeoning online advertising market, improving MSN Search, and ideas for new online services. Unlike the rest of MSR, which is devoted primarily to pure computer science research, the joint research projects will concentrate on advances that can be quickly incorporated into Microsoft online services.

Research Focuses on Ads, Search

After several years of lagging behind competitors such as Google in both functionality and revenue growth from online services, Microsoft announced major changes to its online services in Oct. 2005. The company is redesigning established MSN services (such as Hotmail and Messenger) and rebranding them Windows Live, introducing a new suite of online services for businesses called Office Live, attempting to establish consistent design principles across these services, and creating platforms on which third-party developers can build additional online services.

Microsoft not only wants to capitalize on current online trends, such as the spectacular growth in paid search advertising, but also hopes to spot or create future trends and turn them into profitable businesses. To this end, MSR has joined with MSN to form the following research teams: