Microsoft offers ad package to rule them all

Microsoft on Monday launched an effort that combines its various global ad products and services under one umbrella for advertisers.

With its new Digital Advertising Solutions, Microsoft will deliver companies' ads to Windows Live, Xbox Live, Office Online, Live Search and MSN users via computers, smart phones, handheld computers and Xbox game consoles.

Joanne Bradford, Microsoft's vice president of global sales, said in a statement: "As today's consumers spend more and more time online across various digital devices like mobile phones and video games, advertisers are finding they can no longer reach their entire target audience by advertising on a single medium."

The software giant hopes to use this advertising effort to gain a larger share in the multibillion-dollar ad market and to bolster its competitive stance against rivals Google and Yahoo!.

Earlier this year, Microsoft acquired Massive, which delivers ads to video games. And last year, it launched a paid search advertising programme, MSN AdCenter, to take on Google's AdWords.

Dawn Kawamoto writes for CNET News.com