Who are the targets of Microsofts newest innovation?”
Seizing what is perhaps its most valuable advertising real estate, Microsoft said on Friday it has launched a pilot program to sell ads on the Windows desktop. Advertisers can buy the right to offer various themes that customize the desktop image and that promote various gadgets and even custom sounds for the Windows 7 operating system. Microsoft stressed, however, that users will choose which, if any, of the customizations they want to download. The Windows Personalization Gallery offers a desktop branding experience for users throughout the operation of their Windows 7-based PC, including backgrounds, slide shows, borders, and application audio elements. Microsoft’s pitch is that the program will allow consumers to connect with brands they particularly like.
Seizing what is perhaps its most valuable advertising real estate, Microsoft said on Friday it has launched a pilot program to sell ads on the Windows desktop. Advertisers can buy the right to offer various themes that customize the desktop image and that promote various gadgets and even custom sounds for the Windows 7 operating system. Microsoft stressed, however, that users will choose which, if any, of the customizations they want to download. The Windows Personalization Gallery offers a desktop branding experience for users throughout the operation of their Windows 7-based PC, including backgrounds, slide shows, borders, and application audio elements. Microsoft’s pitch is that the program will allow consumers to connect with brands they particularly like. “The new Windows Theme Experience and Windows Personalization Gallery in Windows 7 allow consumers to customize their technology to reflect the things in life they are most passionate about,” Microsoft vice president Darren Husto
Claiming that his company is currently delivering its largest-ever wave of innovation, Microsoft Business Solutions (MBS) President Stephen Elop told a packed ballroom at the Convergence 2010 keynote here this week about operating “in the center of a remarkable transformation.” The transformation, he told attendees, can be traced to the emergence of cloud computing and the penetration of social networking into the workplace. Microsoft’s role in responding to this transformation, Elop said, is to deliver the products and solutions demanded by consumers. He then recited a litany of new and recent releases – Microsoft Bing, the company’s new search engine; productivity suite Office 2010; collaboration engine SharePoint 2010; and the recently launched Windows 7 operating system – reminding the 8,500 attendees of Microsoft’s Business Launch event on May 12.
