Microsoft has rolled out its new MSN web portal to 50 countries including Australia, with the site powered by the company’s Azure cloud computing platform and providing content curated from a range of sources across 11 categories.
The MSN portal will replace Ninemsn as the default homepage and logout landing page for a range of the company’s services, including Internet Explorer, Skype and Hotmail/Outlook.com.
Alongside the new website, Microsoft is updating its Bing series of apps for Windows Phone so users only need to set their preference once across Cortana, Bing, MSN, and other services. Bing Finance is being renamed MSN Money as part of the move.
The updates also mean Bing Health & Fitness and Weather apps can display real-time updates on the lock screen of Windows Phone devices. Lumia 1520, 630 and 635 users will be able to track the number of steps they take steps via the pedometer and GPS tracker from the lock screen through Bing Health & Fitness.
The company has also promised it is releasing a version of its Bing apps for Android smartphones and Apple iPhones over the coming months, mirroring their Windows and Windows Phone apps.
The new website comes alongside a major announcement by the company of the next major version of its Windows operating system, known as Windows 10.
Andrew Sadauskas is a former journalist at SmartCompany and a former editor of TechCompany.
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