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Trust me to be in a cab on the way to the airport when I get an email from Steve Ballmer with the news! (82k other Microsoftee’s got the mail too, not just me 😉 )

Anyway – Dixon Jones was straight on it!

How do I feel? Well I called a couple of guys to have a chat and we’re really pleased – it it all goes through. It’s been an incredible journey for the last 2 1/2 years, we’ve spent a lot of time and energy on adCenter and even more on our customers.

People have noted how things have changed for the better since we’ve come to market, and it’ll keep getting better as, if this deal comes off, we integrate the businesses and continue in the vein in which we started.

Advertiser’s, publisher’s & marketer’s needs are at the heart of what we’re doing here!

I love this industry!!!!

Right! Flight’s boarding….gotta run!

Check out the Microsoft inside scoop from James Senior who’s just met the guy!

Bill Gates was in town yesterday for a whirlwind trip which included a meeting with Gordon at No 10 and a stint at the IOD. This was his last visit to the UK as a full time Microsoft employee. 🙁

You can see what he has to say to the Institute of Directors World Leader Lunch which includes a very candid 40 minute Q&A!

Highlights:

• Pace of innovation over the next 10 years quicker than the last 10
• The way we read newspapers will change and we’ll see delivery of TV over a personalised channel
• Whythis change? Exponential growth in efficiency of hardware and storage capacity is fueling us to be more ambitious
• Computing has become a tool to equalise the small business with the large business.
• Huge democratization from having the internet as a tool to market your products and services.
• Microsoft’s $6b in R&D – devices will become a lot smaller and powerful and all will connect to the internet.
• What does this mean at the consumer level? Messaging & search will get better but it’s the knowledge workers that will be empowered in a more efficient way, helping maximise productivity.
• 75% of training is now done using video at Microsoft.
• We need to unify phone, computers, internet and TV. The “internet with software” will get bigger, enabling different sorts of communication channels, reducing cost and complexity allowing more capability.

He also does a demo of Microsoft Surface!

Dennis Mortensen has posted on his VisualRevenue Blog that “Microsoft is the best converting search engine today!”

He “conducted a study on 15,014,924 visits across multiple global commerce web properties in Q4 2007, with approximately USD 1.2 Million in Paid Search advertising spend.”

This Independent research backs up the study we did last year with NNR which concluded that Live Search would convert 70% (actually we revisited it and it’s now 80%) higher than than other search engines on average.

Net/Net – Although the traffic from Live Search may be lower than on Google and in some cases Yahoo! it still pays to advertise on adCenter from an ROI perspective.

And if you want more high quality traffic, how does 20m unique users and 330m pageviews sound?

As The Guardian writes Yahoo! is expected to lay off 1000 staff in a cost-cutting exercise.

Having been made redundant from Looksmart in 2004, and knowing tonnes of people who suffered a similar fate back in the hectic days of the DotCom crash, I really feel for those guys, especially as there seems to be little details be shared about who will get the chop!

But with a fantastic forecast for online advertising growth from Group M – 30% this year – and the chance we’ll over take TV revenues next year, I’m sure there’ll be plenty of companies willing to snap up any ex-Yahoo! staff.

Seriously good luck guys!

Following hot on the heels of Digg, Facebook and Viacom, the “biz dev” boys over in Redmond have been busy doing it again – this time with The WSJ.

The deal means third-party exclusive rights to provide contextual and paid search advertising for its network of sites, including The Wall Street Journal Online, Barrons.com, MarketWatch.com, AllThingsD.com and others.

“This deal is a significant win for Microsoft for two key reasons. First, it makes the extended Microsoft advertising network the premier destination for advertisers interested in reaching financially minded users, as it complements our offering in this vertical through MSN Money and other syndication partners,” said Brian McAndrews, senior vice president, Advertiser and Publisher Solutions at Microsoft.

“Second, this deal is a strong indicator that we’re gaining significant traction with our advertising platform. The Wall Street Journal Digital Network is one of the largest financial services publishers in a very dynamic vertical segment, and we’re delighted to add it to our portfolio.”

What I love is when I see a comment like the below from WebmasterWorld!

Gets me all fired up!

“I always like seeing “positive” Microsoft news. I’ll have to say that MS have been “kicking it up a notch” over these past 90-120 days. TV advertising appears to be stepped up and earnings reports are good. I’m rootin’ for ya MS. We need some balance in our space and between you, Yahoo! and Ask.com, you’re all we have left. 🙂 “

Phil Collins once told a story about how a bloke who lived in his village in Sussex knocked on his door asking for a loan. They poor guy had fallen on hard times and needed a few grand to see him though some debts. He promised to pay Phil back so, not knowing the guy at all really, Phil wrote a cheque never expecting to see the money again.

A few years later there was a knock on the door and the chap handed back the money and thanked Phil for helping him out. Collins’ faith and trust in human decency and honesty was enhanced, and it was as much a revelation for him as it was for the guy who asked for the money.

This morning I was walking through Victoria Station and ordered a black americano (marathon training!) from a very nice girl behind the counter at Cafe Nero. As her colleague was busy making it, I searched in my pockets for what I thought was a couple of quid, but slowly realised all I had was 75p. I apologised and said I didn’t have enough money. She shrugged and said it was OK.

As I walked off red & embarrassed she called me back and handed me the coffee! I explained I had no money and showed her the 75p. She smiled pointed at the tip cup (lined with coffee beans – nice touch!) and started serving the next customer.

I explained I’d be back tomorrow with the money and she said OK!

How often does that happen? What great customer service? Such a small gesture, but it set me up for the day, prompted me to write a post about trust and honesty and how it can be inextricably linked to business.

And now if anyone searches for something to do with Cafe Nero online they may well see this post and get a very positive impression too. 

Small, human gestures and nice touches can make all the difference – I don’t think we make enough of the these days! 😉

Having had the dreaded lurghi for the last few weeks, it was touch and go whether I’d give it a stab, but after a couple of successful jaunts around Richmond Park, I’ve decided that by hook or by crook I will cross the finishing line on April 13th!

I’ll be running for the National Association for Colitis and Crohns

Some blub from my JustGiving site:

“I’ve had Ulcerative Colitis, which is a bit like Crohn’s Disease, for 11 years.

I take 8 pills a day but have received fantastic support from the NHS and my family and friends.

It can be a debilitating condition and although I’ve not had it too bad (touch wood!), I have met many people who have had to put up with chronic pain, considerable inconvenience, and in some cases, major surgery – so I guess this is my way of honouring them and paying back some of that support and goodwill!

NACC will receive your money faster through JustGiving and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you.

If you can spare some dosh then please dig deep and sponsor me online.

For every £1 you donate Microsoft will match it! Yes that’s right! Microsoft will match £1 for £1 any money you donate!!!”

I had thought £7,777 was pushing it, but when I found out that Microsoft would top up the fund, £15k didn’t sound too unreasonable….

Please sponsor me here: http://www.justgiving.com/melcarson

And thankyou!

Victoria Derbyshire on 5 Live has just interviewed three blokes who replicated the D-Day landings at Omaha Beach using a camera and and some wicked digital smoke and mirrors – the video is quite fantastic, and shows up the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan which employed over 1000 extras and probably cost a whole bucket of cash!

[youtube:http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=WRS9cpOMYv0]

I was ushered over to Affiliate Window’s blog today, and had to duck the spitting feathers, as they launched a sortie against Tradedoubler in an effort to maintain air supremacy of the affiliate skies.

It’s all about a print ad they ran a couple of months ago which has eerily (or should that be errorly) been replicated by the folks in the office building I can see from where I’m sitting right now!

Check out the ads below and then check out the post!

These AWIN boys don’t hold back in a game of “spot the difference!”