Can Microsoft Become an Ad-Supported Technology Company?

Traditionally, Google has been the primary and leading example of a technology company supported by advertising. But others are at least thinking about what could be possible. Ad-supported tablets might be one example. 

Perhaps more common is ad-supported software ad-supported software, with most people thinking of mobile apps, perhaps, though there also are examples of business software supported by advertising. 


Microsoft has been looking at ad-supported software since at least 2005. And some say Windows 8 will mark an expansion of that effort, integrating advertising into the operating system itself. 

Some think that could lead at some point in the future to ad-supported versions of the operating system, possibly a freemium model, for example.

Up to this point, software has been the type of product most readily adapted to advertising support, one might argue. 

In addition to Google, Facebook, Pandora, Yahoo and AOL have had predominant ad revenue models.

For Microsoft, the "Office" suite has driven about 30 percent of revenue.