Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) is planning to revamp MSN, catching up with CEO Satya Nadella’s “mobile first, cloud first” strategy. The company will unveil various MSN apps for Apple and Android devices shortly.
Idea behind the redesign
MSN new home page displays shred of shortcuts to Microsoft services like One Drive, Office 365 and Skype along with popular services like Facebook and Twitter. User will be able to create a watch list of stocks in MSN money, sports teams in MSN Sports or recipe collection in MSN Food&Drink.
The company stated through a blog post that these apps will debut on the home page in the coming months. The changes made are available as a preview at preview.msn.com. It will be launched across 55 markets all over the world in coming weeks. MSN.com has completed over 20 years, and has a user base of 400 million monthly unique visitors, according to Microsoft.
Microsoft said that the idea is to ensure that the user can carry these things with them in PC at work, in iPad in the living room or on Android phone. Other tools included are productivity tools such as shopping lists and a savings calculator along with a medical symptom checker and a 3D body explorer.
Completely revamped by Microsoft
With MSN, Microsoft wanted to create a competitive edge over players like Yahoo and AOL by serving more original content on a platter. In a bid to offer exclusive products to the users, it launched a series of video in the mid 2000s, and recently launched various digital verticals in partnership with brands such as Web magazine Glo (launched with Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S.), a fitness channel (launched with Rodale) and the celebrity photos site Wonderwall (launched with BermanBraun).
However, according to Brian McDonald, corporate vice president at Microsoft, Glo will be discontinued, and Wonderwall is being acquired by Whalerock Industries (the new iteration of BermanBraun), whereas Rodale has mostly acquired Fitbie.
McDonald said, “We really want to be known for having the world’s best content and not be a content brand ourselves.” McDonald added that MSN is more related to a user experience and tech, rather than being just another cool media kids in New York and L.A.
“This is the biggest reinvention of MSN ever,” said Mr. McDonald. “Literally every line of code has been changed.”
