Case Studies

MSN: UNDERSTANDING THE BROADBAND CUSTOMER

The Company

Microsoft is without doubt one of the world's most successful and instantly recognisable corporations. Since 1975 they have been responsible for creating the foundations of the way much of the globe interacts with computer technology. Microsoft Network (MSN), their all-encompassing website, takes responsibility for allowing internet users access to music, film, entertainment, shopping, business needs, travel, and a search engine for the infinite further needs of each individual.

Background

With the introduction of broadband, MSN realised there was an emerging group of visitors that used the internet quite differently from their dial-up counterparts. Due to increased speed and an ever-present connection, visitors were demanding different services and richer content. MSN identified the need for their site to cater to these new possibilities, by handling high resolution animation, video and audio in conjunction with a strategy for the portal.

The Solution

Following in-depth market research to assess user's fundamental needs, a media-rich UI portal which segmented broadband content was formed, including four completely new services. This allowed users with wide-ranging desires to find and view relevant content quickly and easily. The resulting interactive prototype contained concepts for five film and TV channels, a community for film makers, a search engine with specific 'media search' capability and a user-friendly programme guide detailing the day's video features, along with a variety of vehicles for displaying free content.

The Result

On presentation of The Hub's range of solutions, MSN invested in the full range of designs, service concepts and content, implementing various features onto their live portal instantly. Today, MSN.com receives 12% of all website traffic - that's 39 million hits per day.