Microsoft is currently testing a reminder in Windows 11 that should encourage users to back up their data to OneDrive. Opinions among users differ greatly as to whether this dialog should only be seen as a friendly reminder to backup or as an intrusive advertisement for the in-house cloud.
Microsoft plays advertising over Windows 11
As the website Deskmodder reports, Microsoft has started to deliver a reference to its OneDrive cloud solution directly via the user interface of the current Windows 11 operating system. This circumstance was first noticed by the Twitter user @thebookisclosed alias Albacore, who is known for such publications, especially among Windows insiders.
Do we really need to stuff OneDrive promos in the user session flyout? Anything for that sweet sweet KPI 😭 pic.twitter.com/ZsQGmkntDS
— Albacore (@thebookisclosed) November 6, 2022
Whether the message served directly from the Windows 11 UI is one of the numerous A/B tests with which Microsoft tests new functions in advance with selected users, or whether the notification can be triggered with the help of the ViVe tool via an ID that is still inactive is not yet clear.
Far from being an isolated case at Microsoft
It wouldn't be the first time that Microsoft has used the operating system to advertise its own software, services and features.< /p>
- Chromium-based Edge: Firefox users will receive advertising from Microsoft
- Windows 10: Microsoft is testing Office 365 advertising in WordPad
- Windows 10: New advertising in Explorer can be switched off
Apple is also planning more advertising in its own apps
Microsoft is not alone in this , because Apple, for example, also advertises its own products such as iCloud+ when the free storage is full, and is planning more ads in its own services in the future.
The advertising business, which is worth around 4 billion US dollars per year, is to be brought into the double-digit range. Apple is said to be planning to place ads in applications such as Maps, Books, Podcasts and TV+.
In the App Store, the start page has recently been used for advertising, after previously only curated content from Apple could be found.
Open Source also advertises itself
Open-source applications such as the free Firefox browser also advertise themselves or additional functions such as Firefox VPN.
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