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Brief
Microsoft

Microsoft

Digital Advertising, Search Advertising, Programmatic AdvertisingBig Techmicrosoft.com

Microsoft delivers a unified advertising ecosystem spanning search, programmatic, native, and professional social channels, powered by exclusive first-party data from LinkedIn, Bing, and Microsoft 365 to reach high-intent and high-value audiences at scale.

Last updated Jul 6, 2026 by ATDb automated enrichment · Connections updated Jul 16, 2026

Founded
1975
HQ
Redmond, Washington, United States
Connections
396

At a glance

Employees
10001+
Funding
public
Revenue
$200B+
Stock
MSFT
199integrations12competitors24corporate family8partners3acquisitions

About

Third-largest digital advertising platform globally, behind Google and Meta, with unique strength in B2B advertising via LinkedIn and search via Microsoft Advertising

Microsoft Corporation is one of the world's largest technology companies, with deep roots in software, cloud computing, and increasingly, digital advertising. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, Microsoft has evolved far beyond its origins in operating systems and productivity software to become a formidable force in the AdTech ecosystem. Its advertising business spans search and native advertising through Microsoft Advertising (formerly Bing Ads), programmatic display and video through the Microsoft Advertising Network, and professional audience targeting through LinkedIn — acquired in 2016 — making it one of the few platforms capable of reaching users across search, social, and open web environments at scale.

Business model

SaaS, Marketplace, Advertising Platform

Target market

Enterprise, SMB, Mid-Market

What they offer

  • Microsoft Advertising

    Search and native advertising platform (formerly Bing Ads) enabling PPC campaigns across Bing, Yahoo, DuckDuckGo, and partner networks

  • Microsoft Audience Network

    AI-powered native and display advertising network reaching users across MSN, Outlook, Microsoft Edge, and partner sites

  • Xandr Invest (DSP)

    Demand-side platform for programmatic media buying across premium inventory, acquired from AT&T in 2021

  • Xandr Monetize (SSP)

    Supply-side platform enabling publishers to manage and monetize their ad inventory programmatically

  • LinkedIn Marketing Solutions

    B2B advertising platform offering Sponsored Content, Message Ads, Dynamic Ads, and Lead Gen Forms targeting 900M+ professionals

  • Microsoft Clarity

    Free behavioral analytics tool providing heatmaps and session recordings to help advertisers optimize landing page performance

  • Microsoft Invest

    Rebranded DSP platform integrating Xandr capabilities with Microsoft's first-party data and AI for advanced programmatic buying

  • PromoteIQ

    Retail media advertising platform enabling retailers to run sponsored product and display ad programs on their own properties

  • Azure AI & Copilot for Advertising

    Generative AI tools integrated into advertising workflows for ad copy creation, audience suggestions, and campaign optimization

Key features

Cross-channel advertising across search, native, display, video, and professional socialLinkedIn first-party B2B audience data for precise professional targetingAI-powered audience targeting using Microsoft Graph signalsFull-stack programmatic capabilities via Xandr DSP and SSPUniversal Event Tracking and conversion measurementRetail media solutions via PromoteIQGenerative AI ad creation and optimization via CopilotIntegration with Microsoft 365 and Azure data ecosystemsCustomer Match and CRM-based audience targetingBrand safety and contextual targeting tools

Use cases

B2B lead generation targeting professionals by job title, industry, and company size via LinkedInSearch advertising for high-intent users on Bing and partner search networksProgrammatic display and video campaigns across premium open web inventoryRetail media advertising for e-commerce and CPG brandsRemarketing and customer list targeting using CRM dataBrand awareness campaigns via native ads on MSN and Microsoft EdgeAccount-based marketing (ABM) targeting specific companies and decision-makersPerformance marketing with automated bidding and AI optimization

Customer segments

Enterprise B2B marketersSMB advertisersE-commerce and retail brandsFinancial services advertisersTechnology companiesHealthcare and pharmaceutical brandsMedia agencies and trading desksPublishers and content ownersRecruitment and HR professionals

Tech & specs

Technology stack

Azure Cloud InfrastructureAzure OpenAI / Generative AIMicrosoft Graph (identity and behavioral data)Xandr programmatic platformLinkedIn Insight TagUniversal Event Tracking (UET)Microsoft Clarity analyticsBing AI and semantic searchReal-time bidding (RTB) infrastructureMachine learning and predictive bidding algorithms

Security & compliance

GDPRCCPASOC 2ISO 27001COPPAIAB TCF 2.0Privacy Sandbox compatibleFedRAMP (Azure)

Deployment

CloudAPI

API

Yes

Corporate history
  1. 1975 · Founded
How it came together
  • 2019·Shut downMicrosoft
Year unknown
  • · merged
See the full lineage →
Connection details
View Microsoft’s full portfolio (24) See alternatives to Microsoft See integrations with Microsoft (199) See Microsoft’s partners (8) See acquisitions by Microsoft (3)

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