Microsoft will launch an Irish version of its MSN internet portal, providing Irish content and services in partnership with Irish companies such as RTÉ, VHI, Esat BT and Golden Pages. Karlin Lillington reports.

MSN.ie, which goes live on Monday, will also offer an integrated service with MSN Messenger, Microsoft's internet messaging software, and access to Hotmail, Microsoft's webmail service, which already has 460,000 active Irish accounts, according to Mr Geoff Sutton, general manager, MSN Europe.

"Irish people want Irish content and Irish services," he said, announcing the site in Dublin yesterday.

Though he declined to offer figures, he said there had been significant Irish traffic to MSN's British and US sites, which helped spur the decision to create an Irish site.

MSN.ie will be the 40th market to have a dedicated MSN portal, he said. Worldwide, MSN has 350 million unique users, with 187 million using Hotmail and 135 million using Messenger, according to Mr Sutton.

The online experience for Irish consumers has been "sporadic", said Mr Joe Macri, general manager, Microsoft Ireland. He said the new site would form a foundation on which other content and services would be built.

Red Sky will manage sales for the site, while online dating service Match.com will provide an Irish dating channel.

Mr Macri said Microsoft had not introduced an MSN service here earlier because the timing was not right.

He said the market had changed dramatically with more Irish people online, using high speed broadband services and getting interested in doing more online.

MSN.ie was not intended as a loss-making operation, simply to give MSN an Irish profile, said Mr Sutton. "We're absolutely in the business of making money."