Microsoft on Outlook.com and ads ‘We see our users as customers, not inventory’

WP Central

With the re-launch of Hotmail as Outlook.com Microsoft has garnered a lot of admiration from the media and the public, particularly when Google merely announced the indefinite delay of their Nexus Q orb. As far as PR this week: Microsoft 1, Google 0.

One of the chief features that Microsoft is touting with Outlook.com is that they won't scan your email to evangelize personalized ads—a articulate shot at Google'south Gmail ad-machine. They accept even set up a simple 'how to' on switching from Gmail to Outlook.

But with no personalized ads based on the contents of your email, how is Microsoft making money?

WP Central

Ads as presented on Outlook.com

The respond is technically however ads—that is Outlook has uncomplicated ads based on Bing Shopping to the correct of your screen. You won't see these ads while in an email, just in your main inbox view. Just there is a precipitous distinction here with Google on how they view their customers.

In an commodity on Wired.com, a Microsoft PR amanuensis let this not-so-slight jab wing at Google:

"We see our users as customers, not inventory"

Indeed, Microsoft considers its main source of acquirement software, something that Google doesn't actually sell. With folks buying Windows PCs, laptops. Tablets and software packages like Part, the company already has a steady stream of income. Ads in Outlook are merely an added source of revenue but not something that Microsoft needs. From that perspective, Outlook.com is an extension of services yous already paid for when you bought Microsoft's products.

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Hotmail Plus gives users a choice

In fact, with Hotmail Plus users tin pay $xx a yr and have all ads gone from their inbox permanently in improver to 10GB of storage and no business relationship expiration. Information technology'due south not likewise clear if Microsoft will still push 'Plus' with Outlook.com just every bit of right now, it carries over and ads are not presented to the end user. While paying $20 a year for email with no ads may not sit down well with some people, it is at least an pick that Microsoft offers and which Google does not. Leaving the decision upwards to the customer is really how it should be (and for the record, we are 'Plus' subscribers).

With the winning combination of their new re-design, an emphasis on privacy and putting customers start, Microsoft may still accept a winner with Outllook.com. Just half-dozen hours later its release, the company boasted one million new accounts. Who knows how many take been created since and so.

Related:

Microsoft pokes fun at Google with 'Gmail Man'
Switching your Hotmail or Alive to Outlook.com? Here'due south what you demand to know for Windows Phone.

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