Microsoft Considers Ad-Supported Consumer Software

Only some of Microsoft's consumer software titles are generating any real money, and a predicted further decline in revenue may push Microsoft to adopt some version of a free, ad-supported software model, writes CNET (via marketingVOX), citing Microsoft internal documents that it has obtained. Although Office and Windows are vastly profitable, others - such as Works or Money - are not. "The outlook for the packaged consumer retail software market is poor...and consumers appear less willing than ever to buy software applications off the shelf," according to a Microsoft strategy paper. That, coupled with the possibility that others might offer free software, has apparently led to Microsoft's considering free, ad-supported versions of some of its consumer titles.