LinkExchange, Microsoft Team Up to Promote E-Commerce:

In another move in a series of actions designed to position itself as more than an ad banner exchange company, LinkExchange launched a joint promotion with Microsoft to help small businesses build online stores.

LinkExchange said it will provide its Merchant Planet e-commerce service to members of the Microsoft Site Builder Network at significantly discounted rates. In return, Microsoft will actively promote Merchant Planet by LinkExchange to the Site Builder Network membership base of more than 800,000 Web site owners.

“This partnership will help drive e-commerce among small businesses, while
extending our brand and our suite of services to a new audience,” said Ali Partovi, vice president of business development at LinkExchange.

This deal follows close on the heels of LinkExchange’s recent acquisitions of
Submit It! and Merchant Planet, and is part of LinkExchange’s ongoing
expansion of services to help Web site owners make their sites more
successful.