The MSN – Facebook connection.

Microsoft is offering a sneak peak at a redesigned version of its MSN.com home page that features a cleaner design, a more prominent Bing search box, and direct links to social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. The company plans to formally launch the redesign early next year.

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Microsoft said MSN’s new look was inspired by customer research that showed Web users want a simplified portal experience.

“Now is the time to clean up the mess on the Web—people need less clutter and less hassle to find what matters most to them,” said Microsoft corporate VP Erik Jorgensen, in a statement. “Microsoft is uniquely invested in search, media experiences and technical innovation. Combining these assets to deliver our new MSN home page is a tremendous win for customers and advertisers,” said Jorgensen. The new portal includes 50% fewer links than the existing MSN home page and simplified navigation tools.

Windows Live, Facebook and Twitter users can establish direct links to their social networking accounts that allow content sharing and feed aggregation between MSN and those sites. It also pulls content from several Microsoft partners, including Fox Sports, Hulu, and Hearst. “Customers told us they want the latest information from their favorite sources, their friends and the breadth of the Web—and the new MSN home page delivers via a fresh new look and features,” said Jorgensen.

Microsoft is also hoping the new look will draw more users to its Bing search engine. Despite the new features, and a partnership with Yahoo that will see Microsoft add Bing to Yahoo’s Web pages, Microsoft isn’t having much luck catching Google in the search market. The most recent numbers from market watcher comScore show Google with 64.6% of the sector, with Microsoft holding 9.4%. Microsoft shares were up .87%, to $27.77, in early trading Wednesday.