The long, tortuous history of Microsoft Corp.'s MSN internet service has produced more than its share of disappointments. Launched in 1995, MSN has endured countless changes in strategy and management -- not to mention losing about $2.5 billion over the past eight years, according to estimates by Banc of America Securities analyst Bob Austrian. In the critical U.S. market, it continues to lag behind AOL Time Warner Inc. in subscribers and Yahoo! Inc. in Web traffic. But for Microsoft's pooh-bahs in Redmond, Wash., there's brighter news emanating from London. There, a determined crew of managers has turned MSN into the top Internet portal in Europe.
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