Grounded on more than 23 years of experience in the news business, Microsoft takes a giant step ahead as it introduces Microsoft News to the world today.
Microsoft News at a glance
Microsoft has named its news engine ‘Microsoft News’, which is synced with the already known sites likeMSN.com, the newly reconfigured Microsoft News app for iOS and Android, Microsoft Edge, the News app in Windows 10, Skype, Xbox, and Outlook.com.
Through Microsoft news, the American multinational technology company ensures the free flow of Web information and news dissemination across digital devices like phone, PC etc, by applying the tried and tested strategy of streaming news through human editors, publishing partnerships and Artificial Technology (AI).
As many as 1000 premium publishers and over 3,000 brands leading the global news markets (such as USA Today, The New York Times, FOX News, The Washington Post, The Guardian, Le Monde, Die Welt, BBC News etc) are brought on board to accumulate and create a reservoir of the best news pieces, videos, photos and similar content and stream them smoothly to people all around the world at free charge. What’s more, thanks to Microsoft News, the user is no more reconciled to consume the standard news staple as was the case in bygone days when television headed the electronic media to deliver news to the world.
Now, news comes easier, faster, is more diversified, more extensive, and comes with the choice of customisation as the news experience can now be personalised with priority value, such as browsing only the favourite topics on MSN.com, or selecting interests to follow in one’s news feed on the Microsoft Edge Start page and so on.. Many publishing partners can make money out of their news content, by connecting with the new audiences, so that the news publishing industry can stay afloat financially and invest the returns in responsible, credible and high-quality journalism.
Access Microsoft News on iOS and Android
The best experience of Microsoft News can be accessed on Microsoft’s redesigned Microsoft News app for iOS and Android, available today. The app regardless of where the person is, the favorite and priority topics will seamlessly reach them through the app, which is, as described by Microsoft on the blog post, ‘like having your own portable newsroom.’
Syncing the experience of Microsoft News to iOS and Android has transfigured the news experience with an array of exciting new features such as:
- New personalization upgrades, including lining up interests to be synced with the news feed – such as World News, Personal Finance etc – and to ship interests across devices as well as local news options for top cities
- Breaking news alerts that can be easily configured
- A new dark theme for better reading by the nigh-owl news junkies
- Easy and simplified access through smooth syncing with iOS and Android widgets
- Continuous reading, for a smooth content experience
- All of these features call attention to only one point, get the app now!
- Microsoft on promoting the publishing ecosystem and quality journalism
With many years of news experience up to its sleeve, Microsoft is all up for extending its support to all those quality institutions that have been in the news publishing environment for the longest time, and have progressively set the prototypes of quality journalism through years of specialized experience of credible and quality reporting.
For this purpose, an independent and financially strong press is a prerequisite and Microsoft has joined hands with the top-notch news brands, setting up a business model that gives out easy, free and credible news to the world and with sustainable revenue for the publishers. Going by the facts, the last 4 years have recorded a cash-in of more than $600 million for the publishers, thereby enabling them to channel the revenues productively towards sustaining and strengthening quality journalism.
Here are some of the statements given by important figureheads from news channels, business houses and media houses in appreciation of Microsoft’s efforts in news publishing.
Microsoft has been a great partner over the last several years, working closely with our newsroom and collaborating as they consider new features and services. We appreciate partners like Microsoft who value trusted reporting and seek ways to elevate and share premium journalism to millions of readers who are looking for information from a reliable source. — Maribel Wadsworth, publisher of USA TODAY and president, USA TODAY NETWORK
“Microsoft is a great partner for us because it offers both impressive reach and a well-earned reputation as a trusted source of news.” – Rich Kennedy, SVP of Business Development, Business Insider
We are very happy that Microsoft is investing further in highlighting valuable and trusted sources of news. The launch of Microsoft News is another positive proof point of publisher-platform relationships strengthening and we look forward to seeing what’s to come.” — Matt Dornic, VP for Communications and Digital Partnerships, CNN
“Microsoft has been a valued partner in delivering CBSN’s live, 24/7 news coverage and analysis to an expansive audience that’s hungry for quality news and information. We look forward to continuing our strong relationship.” – Christy Tanner, Executive Vice President, and General Manager, CBS News Digital
How does Microsoft curate its news?
Microsoft’s AI scans the content of more than 1,00,000 impressive pieces sent by the publishing partners, gauging it for dimensions like opinion content, freshness and so on and then it is sent to the editors’ table, where apt photos are pinned to add to the visual appeal and then the readers are given curated top stories, from the best sources. The curation process is global in outlook but incorporates editors with local experience, which stands to more than 800 editors working from 50 locations around the world. The Microsoft News experience is characterized by diversity in the newsrooms and in the publishing partners.
With Microsoft News presented to the world by Microsoft today, it substantiates its mission statement as stated by Rob Bennett, Editor in Chief in the post;
Our mission for more than two decades has been to keep you informed in an easily accessible, comprehensive and trustworthy way. Today, we share the next step in our evolution
There’s never been a better time for the news junkies as it stands now, and with giant tech companies like Microsoft launching news engines and powering up news websites and pages such as MSN.com, and Microsoft Edge Start page, the scenario is only to get better!