Having launched a beta for its newly designed MSN portal on 9 September, Microsoft showcased its new service for a select group of media at its Johannesburg headquarters yesterday.

Still in the beta phase at this stage, Microsoft is aiming to launch the fully fledged version of MSN by the beginning of October. The defining feature of the new MSN is a focus on what Microsoft terms as its cloud-first, mobile-first vision, whereby user experience is delivered in a seamless and responsive way, across a multitude of form factors and operating systems.

To that end, according to Microsoft, the new MSN has been built from the ground up, with access to carefully curated, high value content from a number of both global and local producers. Added to this, is a number of Windows and Bing specific productivity tools and apps to further enrich the MSN experience.

From the content perspective, when MSN officially launches in 52 different countries during early October, each country will have a combination of international and local media partners publishing articles and information on the new MSN portal. Some of the local partners include Primedia, Media24 and eNCA to name a few.

Microsoft believes MSN will not simply be used as an aggregating platform like Flipboard or Pulse for example, but instead look for the best possible stories, curated from the plethora of articles out there. As such, the company is hoping that visitors and MSN users alike will view it as a high quality news outlet, as opposed to one that simple floods its user with too much information.

Along with news, MSN will feature nine other dedicated sections for specific types of information, including Sports, Food and Drink, Money, and Health and Fitness. Each of these sections will combine both news pieces, as well as feature-like articles and videos for users to browse through. Added to this, is a dedicated Bing-esque app for users to access on their smartphone or tablet, for Windows Phone, Android and iOS. These apps will also work in conjunction with one's MSN profile to ensure that information remains the same, regardless of what device you're using.

An example of this is the Food and Drink section, which will feature recipes for MSN users to try out. From this, a user can download a quick shopping list for any recipe, which can also be accessed via the Windows-designed Food & Drink app.

From a Windows-specific services aspect, the new MSN will integrate applications like Microsoft Outlook, Office 365, OneNote and OneDrive, with Skype set to be in the works. Once signed in via one's Microsoft account, all the associated services for these apps can be quickly accessed, as well as incorporating a notification system for any new mails or documents.

For Microsoft, there is plenty to get excited about with the new MSN portal, should your interest be piqued, you can check out a preview of the new look MSN here.