Microsoft released today that it will launch its beta platform on 1 March, Engagement Mapping.  This is nothing more than tracking consumers habits online to see how they respond to ads presented to them on sites they visit and at what point they decide to make a purchase online.  

Google.com has been promoting a similiar platform for a while now.  They have given the user the option to signup for it and be tracked how they search the internet and interact.  There have been alot of consumers who have signed up and it has helped Google develop new platforms catered to consumers.

Engagement mapping will be beneficial to advertisers who want to learn the most effective way to spend their advertising dollars.  It will also help advertisers understand how consumers make their decision at the Point of Sale.

This is a little disturbing to me as it is another violation of privacy for consumers.  I hope that Microsoft will make it optional to participate in the beta program.  If they do not, your ip address will be tracked forever and everything you do on the internet will be tracked and sold to the highest bidder.  The only good thing that can come out of this is the development of platforms for all domains, to include geo domains.

We will have to wait and see how things turn out with the beta program.  A savvy domainer registered the domain engagementmapping.com today. I hope this domain has not been TM by Microsoft.  He may not be so savvy if they have!

(via NYTimes.com)