MSN Europe looking to boost business with automobiles

NEWS Jean-Philippe Courtois, president of Microsoft Europe, said the company wanted to build on its existing deal with car marketplace Autobytel.com and forge partnerships with key European manufacturers. He claimed car makers see the internet not just as a way to sell cars but to sell services after the car has been purchased. The move is the latest by MSN to beef up its content on the five-year-old portal. MSN recently signed a deal with Credit Suisse First Boston to gain content for its finance pages and another with CNET for news content. Tesco.com will be advertising its products on MSN's shopping channel. Courtois claimed DaimlerChrysler and Citroen Peugeot were very active in the internet arena, hinting they could be possible partners.