Latest MSN Launch Integrates Brand, Targets AOL

New client software and a redesigned MSN portal are designed to boost traffic on the site, for both Microsoft and its Internet partners. The changes are accompanied by a US$150 million advertising campaign aimed at attracting consumers away from AOL.

Integrating Services Under the MSN Brand

The centerpiece of the new campaign is the final release of MSN Explorer, a client that sits atop Internet Explorer (IE) 5 and contains an unhidable frame with built-in links to MSN services such as Hotmail, MSN Messenger, eShop, and MoneyCentral. It also includes the Windows Media Player, which allows users to play streaming audio and video files while performing other tasks in the same window. (For details on the beta version of MSN Explorer, which does not differ significantly from the final release, see “New MSN Client Preview Released” on page 23 of the July 2000 Update.)

MSN Explorer is now the default client for all new MSN Internet Access subscribers, and it will be the client for upcoming versions of the MSN Companion Internet appliances.