Microsoft to serve local content, ads via Wi-Fi

Microsoft to join municipal Wi-Fi fray 

Elinor Mills, a staff writer from CNET News.com reported today that Microsoft is entering the municipal wireless area to provide content in Portland.

In a deal with MetroFi, Microsoft will provide an MSN-branded local content page with restaurants, events, traffic, news, city government services and weather, a Windows Live Search box, and contextually relevant ads targeted to the topics on the Web pages users view and keywords searched on, said Chuck Haas, chief executive and founder of MetroFi.

"This is Microsoft's first public foray into municipal Wi-Fi, and Microsoft's commitment to the Portland network further reinforces the validity of the advertising-supported Wi-Fi model," Haas said.

Read Elinor's article here at CNET News.com