CAIRO: Internet penetration is skyrocketing all over the globe and the Arab world is no exception. In Egypt alone the number of internet users is set to at least double in the next four years. Internet service providers are understandably keen to break into emerging markets like Egypt, and between May 10-12 Microsoft s annual MSN Arabia symposium at El Gouna, The Connection 07 , became the biggest private advertising and market event the Arabian region has ever seen. MSN s Consumer Marketing and Public Relations Manager Brian Keally was in Egypt for the event, and he spoke to The Daily Star Egypt about the internet revolution in the Arab world, and how MSN s Live services will shape the internet experience for a whole generation of users. When the phone market deregulates, says Keally, there is more competition... and internet penetration goes through the roof. With Egypt in the process of deregulation, and penetration levels already between 6-7 percent, he expects the market here to grow significantly over the coming years, meaning more subscribers to MSN Live. Many current Egyptian users will already be familiar with MSN Live s services like Messenger, Live spaces and hotmail. And this familiarity, says Keally, has given MSN an early foothold in the Egyptian and Arabian markets. Out of 12 million broadband users in Arabia, 5.7 million already use MSN Live. In emerging markets there can be a bit of uncertainty about the internet, he says, and the fact that MSN is so well established here already means people are comfortable using it. Plus there is no other competing service that in one package gives you instant messenger, video phone calls, email, a personal space... he continues. It is a complete communication tool. MSN Arabia s service is already localized and is set to become even more so. Everything from content to advertising is regional, and in some cases, as with sports news, even specific to the country. Egyptian football news on MSN is written by Egyptians for Egyptians. We very strongly take the view that one size does not fit all, says Keally. Everything on MSN Arabia is relevant and has meaning to those using it. Keally emphasizes that one area where Microsoft is looking to develop, not only locally but worldwide, is the MSN search engine. Their market share at present is small, with stiff competition from players like Yahoo and of course Google ( the unmentionable ). To this end he offers me a demonstration of MSN s new image search - admittedly quite impressive - and describes its upcoming academic search facility, which will scan purely academic sources, particularly useful for students. His personal favorite however is MSN s folder sharing. It allows users to send folders of unlimited size to their messenger contacts, keeping email inboxes clear and avoiding those lengthy uploading times for photo and video files. It means, for instance, you and a colleague can easily work on a presentation together online. It also means I can send my mum photos of my trip to Egypt.
