Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) is using streams of data from social media giant's Facebook Inc. and Twitter Inc. to tailor content for visitors to its MSN service, a strategy designed to increase stickiness as the Internet portal space struggles to retain users. Over the past year, Microsoft has deepened data-sharing partnerships with the two companies that allow the software giant to accumulate clicks, musings and keywords on the social networks. Microsoft pushes the information, as well as data from its Bing search engine, through computer programs to spot popular topics at the keyword and link level. Microsoft uses the information to select content and position it on MSN sites. "The more advanced machine learning becomes the better we will be able to deliver that experience at less cost," said Bob Visse, general manager of MSN, in an interview with Dow Jones. Delivering appealing content will help MSN gain visitors as it jockeys with AOL Inc. (AOL) and Yahoo Inc. (YHOO) for a share of the portal business. Microsoft considers a portal important to deliver content to users of their other products.