SigEx Telecom : Digg users and the Microsoft dealby Ana Maria Ciobanu

Yesterday Microsoft and Digg announced a three year deal in which Microsoft will provide display and contextual advertising on Digg. According to Kevin Rose, Digg's founder, Federated Media- Digg's advertising partner for an year and a half now will continue to collaborate with the site. Kevin Rose promised no more "dancing monkey ads", "and the design will remain uncluttered". You probably all know the attitude Digg users adopt, I don't know how you feel about it but I personally admire them. They have attitude, they rule Dugg, they always have pertinent opinions and intelligent things to comment. You probably all remember the big scandal with Digg removing posts that contained a software key needed to crack the encryption used to limit copying of HD-DVD and Blu-ray discs. You can imagine how Digg users took yesterdays' news. Some diggers said they gave faith in Dig no matter what, some were more oppressive and said this is the end of Digg. Users are right to be commenting on this news because really "Why does this even matter? Who the hell looks at the ads?"(neiltc13 on 07/25/2007). I don't look at the ads, Digg users don't look at the ads or they look at the snorg girls, most of them have Adblock Plus or Firefox and Adaware so this deal seems irrelevant. As irrelevant for the users as this deal might be it definitely has to be relevant for Microsoft or they'll loose more field. What relevancy could it have? Perhaps attracting a young "cool" audience(as a Digg user said) to buy their products and be fans of Microsoft for life. Sometimes I get very tired of all these big companies philosophies and all seems so fake and brainwashed...that I feel a big urge of uninstalling Windows and finding another search engine than Google, another mail client than Yahoo, and another way to chat with my friends than Yahoo Messenger.

by Ana Maria Ciobanu for SigEx Telecom (http://sigex.com)

SigEx Telecom is quickly becoming the leading telebroadcasting communications provider allowing people to easily talk, view, upload and share video clips through free online TV broadcasting, free unlimited global calls, websites, blogs, video-mails and SMS. SigEx Telecom captures many add-on services for its clients generating royalties and fees in a broad spectrum of marketing services including public relations and promotions.

SigEx Telecom : Ballmer: We are 'hell-bent' on succeeding in adsby Delia Cruceru

On Microsoft’s annual Financial Analyst Meeting on Thursday, Bill Gates said about their latest deals with Digg.com and EA Games, as being a move towards the future. "The online advertising piece is a small piece of the overall advertising pie, but as TV viewing moves to the online space, the idea of targeting ads becomes completely a mainstream thing," Gates said. "That's why you're seeing us make investments." Behind Google and Yahoo in the online ad industry, Microsoft doesn’t want the third place, now they revealed Thursday that they want to buy AdECN, an ad exchange, just like Yahoo bought its own ad exchange earlier this year called Right Media. "We are hell-bent and determined to allocate the talent, the resources, the money, the innovation to absolutely become a powerhouse in the ad business," said Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. "This is essential if our software plus services vision is going to come to fruition." In the presentation from the meeting, Bill Gates announced their are opening a dedicate center named the Internet Services Research Center, for developing researching online advertising and search. The former chief scientist from Microsoft’s Search & Advertising Platform Group, Harry Shum, will rule this Center. They also announced the release of Silverlight 1.0 a rival for Flash and other plugg-ins that helpful in displaying media and interactive contents from Web pages.

related story: http://news.com.com/Ballmer%20We%20are%20hell-bent%20on%20succeeding%20in%20ads/2100-1012_3-6199030.html

by Delia Cruceru for SigEx Telecom (http://sigex.com)

SigEx Telecom is quickly becoming the leading telebroadcasting communications provider allowing people to easily talk, view, upload and share video clips through free online TV broadcasting, free unlimited global calls, websites, blogs, video-mails and SMS. SigEx Telecom captures many add-on services for its clients generating royalties and fees in a broad spectrum of marketing services including public relations and promotions.

SigEx Telecom : Ballmer: suntem hotarati sa reusim in domeniul publicitarby Delia Cruceru

La intalnirea anuala de joi Financial Analyst Meeting, Bill Gates a spus despre ultimele afaceri ale companiei cu Digg.com si EA Games, ca sunt un pas inainte spre viitor. “Piesa de publicitate online este o piesa mica din intreaga mare de publicitare, dar cum urmaritul televiziunilor se muta online, idea publicitatii online devine o chestie comerciala” spune Gates. “De aceea noi facem investitii.” In urma Google si Yahoo in industria publicitatii online, Microsoft nu vrea locul al treilea, acum au dezvaluit joi ca vor sa cumpere AdECN, un schimb de reclame, la fel ca si cel pe care Yahooo l-a achizitionat anul acesta numit Right Media. “Suntem foarte hotarati si determinati sa alocam talentul, resursele, banii si inovarea pentru a deveni o echipa puternica in domeniul publicitatii online” a spus Steve Ballmer. “Aceasta este esential daca viziunea serviciilor noastre de sofware se va indeplini.” In prezentarea de la intalnire, Bill Gates a anuntat ca vor deschide un centru dedicat numit Internet Services Research Center, pentru dezvoltarea si cercetarea publicitatii online si a cautarii. Fostul sef savant de la grupul de Cautare& Publicitate al Microsoft, Harry Shum, va conduce acest centru. Ei au anuntat de asemenea si lansarea Silverlight 1.0, un rival pentru Flash si alte plugg-inn-uri care sunt folositoare pentru afisarea continutului media si interactiv de pe paginile de internet.

related story: http://news.com.com/Ballmer%20We%20are%20hell-bent%20on%20succeeding%20in%20ads/2100-1012_3-6199030.html

by Delia Cruceru for SigEx Telecom (http://sigex.com)

SigEx Telecom is quickly becoming the leading telebroadcasting communications provider allowing people to easily talk, view, upload and share video clips through free online TV broadcasting, free unlimited global calls, websites, blogs, video-mails and SMS. SigEx Telecom captures many add-on services for its clients generating royalties and fees in a broad spectrum of marketing services including public relations and promotions.

SigEx Telecom : Can you dig the Digg- Microsoft deal?by Ana Maria Ciobanu

According to Kevin Rose on the Digg blog, the popular user-driven news site has just signed a three-year exclusive ad deal with Microsoft: "We’ve signed on Microsoft as our new partner to sell and serve the ads on Digg. It’s a deal similar to the one Facebook signed with Microsoft last year." If the deal is similar to the Facebook deal then this means Digg is getting a guarantee, and Microsoft will be losing money. At least that's what Michael Arrington writes on TechCrunch. Google won't be hurt from this deal as it is one of the actors from the market that embraced Web 2.0. Microsoft has avoided the whole “web 2.0″ madness till now and they will most likely wait till things are more clear. They will probably do one good move and become a major player in that field. The best option would probably be acquiring Yahoo, because this would bring them a strong place in search,online ads and social networking sites. The press release from Microsoft gives us more information than the Digg blog about this deal. It announces that "the two companies will collaborate to bring relevant advertising to the more than 17 million unique monthly visitors to Digg, an innovative Web site that harnesses the collective wisdom of the world’s online audience to prioritize the overwhelming amount of content available on the Web" Digg users, a tough public for the market and pretty much anti Microsoft seem to salute this initiative and applaud the disappearance of the annoying flying monkey ads or Snorg girls hanging around the screens. Digg is a spectacular brand and has a very interesting audience, only time will tell us if this deal is also good for Microsoft. Maybe it already is good because they signed it before Google did.

related story: http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jul2007/tc20070725_537497.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_businessweek+exclusives

by Ana Maria Ciobanu for SigEx Telecom (http://sigex.com)

SigEx Telecom is quickly becoming the leading telebroadcasting communications provider allowing people to easily talk, view, upload and share video clips through free online TV broadcasting, free unlimited global calls, websites, blogs, video-mails and SMS. SigEx Telecom captures many add-on services for its clients generating royalties and fees in a broad spectrum of marketing services including public relations and promotions.