Microsoft joins Coalition for Better Ads to develop online ad standards

Microsoft has joined the Coalition for Better Ads (CBA) in a bid to support and collaborate with the online advertising industry, to develop better standards and make the digital ecosystem function better for consumers, marketers and publishers.In a blog post by Rik van der Kooi, corporate vice president, Microsoft Search Advertising, he said the company trusts it can make a major contribution to improving and protecting advertising standards on the web through its advertising platforms and consumer services.He added that the company is devoted to collaborating with industry partners and CBA, "to continue the development and implementation of standards that will have a positive impact on consumers and the entire online advertising community".Meanwhile, the company has also made some senior hires in the Asia Pacific region. In June, Microsoft appointed Wendy Johnstone as marketing and operations lead for Asia Pacific, to spearhead all marketing activities and operations for Microsoft in Singapore and the region, including Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea, New Zealand, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and other emerging Asian markets such as Bangladesh, Brunei, Myanmar, Nepal and Sri Lanka.Earlier this year, the company also named Andrea Della Mattea its new vice president of its Asia Pacific operations to lead Microsoft’s business across the region, including over 2,000 employees and more than 11,000 Microsoft certified partners. Former general manager of Microsoft Hong Kong Horace Chow, was appointed chief operating officer of Microsoft China in July. Cally Chan, former vice president of enterprise group and managing director for Hong Kong and Macau at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, succeed Chow as general manager.Despite the senior hires, Microsoft also laid off its entire consumer marketing team in Singapore, which amounted to more than 10 staff in its sales and marketing departments. According to a report on The Straits Times, which added that according to its sources, only one person has been left on the team to manage Microsoft’s distribution of products to retailers in Singapore.