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Microsoft Offers Users RSS News Feeds on Windows Marketplace

Posted on: Wednesday, 8 March 2006, 12:00 CST

As a benefit to the millions of Windows users accessing the Windows Marketplace the site recently announced the availability of RSS (web news feeds) as an ideal way for users to stay updated about new product releases, updates, and the latest technology and product announcements from leading Windows Community sites. With more users becoming aware of RSS through blogging, RSS is rapidly becoming the method of choice for receiving news.

Windows Marketplace RSS feeds can easily be added to a user's home page portal on MyMSN, Live.com, MyYahoo, other favorite RSS aggregators or news readers, and is also supported in many browsers. You can download one of two free preferred news readers (Active Web Reader or Pluck) which come pre-configured with all 19 Windows Marketplace RSS feeds, allowing users to immediately stay informed about new product offerings from hundreds of companies and over 103,000 products. Or, you can add them to your favorite news reader.

Over 97% of the products listed on the Windows Marketplace hail from leading software and hardware vendors, other than Microsoft, whose products make the Windows ecosystem such a rich environment for Windows users.

Microsoft chose to work with an independent third party provider, the Windows Users Group Network (WUGNET) to create a private RSS portal so vendors could get their products listed and broadcasted through the RSS news feeds.

"We chose WUGNET as our partner to provide the Windows Marketplace RSS channels because of their 18 year commitment to the Windows community, their product knowledge, and their relationship with the independent software publishing and hardware vendor communities, as well as its own history of creating and publishing community content for third parties," said Jed Rose, Windows Client Product Manager. "We want to offer an opportunity for third party software and hardware party vendors to communicate directly with our customers and help them rate, review and choose to buy Windows products that are best of breed. It's a win-win situation for everyone."

There are new product RSS feeds covering 19 product categories, including IE add-ons which number over 2000 products.

While RSS is already an established technology, the growing popularity of blogs has catapulted RSS into the spotlight as a content personalization tool, according to Nielsen NetRatings's RSS study. Furthermore, RSS feeds deliver relevant posts quickly, in a customizable, easy to manage format. These types of services provide marketers an additional avenue from which to tap a captive audience for time-critical offers. Since the customers themselves pick the content they will receive, advertisers are able to deliver their message within a context they know will engage their target audience.

"The Windows Marketplace helps us get out new product news to the Windows community, courtesy of Microsoft, through the latest technology of RSS," said Colleen Toumayan, Director of Public Relations for Diskeeper Corporation.

"I appreciate the added exposure the network provides to software developers. It's a great venue to communicate with an audience who has a specific interest," said Sharon Housley, Marketing Manager for Notepage, Inc.

Vendors of Windows products can sign up free and submit their product news if they are currently listed on the Windows Marketplace. Vendors who are not yet listed can find out how to get listed on the sign up page.

"With the introduction of these new Windows Marketplace Feeds, average users will find it easy to stay up-to-date with Windows. Better yet, there's no middle man to go through; all the hardware and software update information comes directly from Microsoft. That's a true win-win situation," said Chris Pirillo, President of Lockergnome.com, a digital technology magazine.

End-users who desire, can add the feeds to their existing news clients or download free RSS news clients preloaded with the Windows Marketplace News Feeds. Windows hardware and software vendors can also sign up on this page.

About WUGNET

WUGNET Publications Inc., incorporated in 1990, began working with the Windows Community of hardware and software vendors in the mid 1980s. Since then, the company has continued to assist the software community through its many marketing and distribution opportunities primarily through a large network promoting Try-Before-You-Buy software. WUGNET is a lifetime member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP) and was inducted into the Shareware Hall of Fame in 1998. WUGNET has operated successful peer and managed forums for over 18 years and provides free marketing and consulting services to its distribution partners as well as fee-based consulting services on community building and forum experience. WUGNET is trademark of WUGNET Publications Inc. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

 CONTACTS for Media or Vendors:  Media Contacts: Joel Diamond Contact via http://www.marketwire.com/mw/emailprcntct?id=61B575C5A9C32AB8 610-565-1861  Larry McJunkin Contact via http://www.marketwire.com/mw/emailprcntct?id=910209A140441F23 610-565-1861  Hardware/Software Vendors Contact: Howard Sobel Contact via http://www.marketwire.com/mw/emailprcntct?id=ECF77F7E4E45F813 610-565-1861  

SOURCE: WUGNET Publications Inc.

Source: MARKET WIRE

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