MSN China was launched in 1997 as a Chinese-language version of the popular online service MSN.
The company behind MSN China is Microsoft, a global leader in the tech industry.
MSN China's success was largely due to its strategic partnerships with Chinese internet service providers and content providers.
Microsoft's China presence dates back to 1992, when the company first established a local office in Beijing.
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Microsoft in China
Microsoft has a significant presence in China, with the launch of MSN China, a Chinese-language Web portal that offers communication, information, and content.
The portal is run through Shanghai MSN Network Communications Ltd., a joint venture between Microsoft and Shanghai Alliance Investment Ltd., a government-operated Chinese firm.
Microsoft's entry into the Chinese market is a strategic move to tap into the world's second-largest Internet market, with around 100 million Internet users and a growing number.
The company has already established a strong presence in China through its instant messaging platform, Messenger, which has around seven million users in the country.
Microsoft's corporate vice president, Michael Rawding, sees the instant messaging market as an opportunity to "explode" in China, given its relatively under-developed state.
Microsoft is also expanding its reach in China by acquiring assets from Chinese mobile phone software provider TSSX, which will allow it to offer MSN-based services to the country's 340 million mobile phone users.
The company is taking a calculated approach to entering the Chinese market, partnering with relatively unknown Chinese firms to establish a foothold.
Microsoft's late entry into the Chinese market may make it harder to gain traction, but the company is optimistic about its prospects, with Rawding expecting to see similar usage of the portal site.
For more insights, see: Mobile Phone Industry in China
Juku
MSN China launched MSN Juku in beta in November 2009. It was described as a "Twitter-style" microblogging service by commentators, although MSN China rejects that description.
The user interface of MSN Juku bore a striking similarity to that of Plurk, a microblogging service blocked in China in April 2009.
Plurk's official blog accused MSN China of plagiarizing about 80% of Plurk's original code, as well as elements of their CSS and unique user interface features on December 14, 2009.
Microsoft confirmed that MSN Juku did contain copied code the next day, stating that the service was developed by a Chinese contractor.
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Portal Launch
Microsoft launched MSN China, a Chinese-language Web portal, to tap into China's massive Internet market.
The portal will be run through Shanghai MSN Network Communications Ltd., a joint venture Microsoft established with Shanghai Alliance Investment Ltd.
Microsoft expects MSN China to offer far more communication, information, and content than its current services in China.
The instant messaging market in China is still under-developed, with around seven million users of Microsoft's Messenger platform.
China has about 100 million Internet users and the number is growing.
Microsoft's late entry into the Chinese market may make it harder to gain traction.
Microsoft is working with relatively unknown partners, which could be a challenge for the company.
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