Microsoft buys Internet marketer

Microsoft appears poised to make yet more inroads into the Internet, confirming yesterday that it has acquired LinkExchange, an online marketing and advertising services company.

Financial terms were not disclosed in a statement issued by Microsoft. Based in San Francisco, LinkExchange has 100 employees and will become part of MSN, Microsoft's ever-expanding Internet network.

LinkExchange offers services to assist World Wide Web site owners and businesses promote and improve their Web sites, increase traffic to their sites, and to help with electronic commerce. The company's main service is the Banner Network, which currently promotes more than 400,000 Web sites.

LinkExchange customers will be able to advertise on MSN and will be included in both the MSN directory and its Web search results page.