Microsoft bringing ads to mobile devices
Microsoft is set to launch mobile ads through its MSN Mobile portal.
(Credit: Microsoft)Microsoft is set to launch on Monday its first mobile advertising.
Going forward, people will be able to see mini banner ads optimized for their browser type and screen size on their mobile devices when they visit the MSN Mobile portal, which works on any mobile phone, said Phil Holden, director for online services for Microsoft.
The MSN Mobile portal offers news, information on weather and stocks, as well as movie reviews and listings. It also offers access to search, Hotmail, Messenger, and Windows Live Spaces.
MSN Mobile will also now enable users to buy movie tickets over the phone with a credit card and download background images and ringtones.
The initial advertisers are Bank of America, Paramount Pictures, and Jaguar.
Microsoft faces competition in the mobile ad space from Yahoo, Google, and smaller firms like Amobee--in which Vodafone and Spain's Telefonica have stakes--among many other companies.
Elinor Mills covers Internet security and privacy. She joined CNET News in 2005 after working as a foreign correspondent for Reuters in Portugal and writing for The Industry Standard, the IDG News Service, and the Associated Press. E-mail Elinor. 
