US Edition 
Microsoft working on cookie replacement
Microsoft is developing its own replacement to the "cookie" technology which tracks people's online behaviour and can be used to target adverts.
It is hoped the new software will be able to monitor all desktop computers, tablets and smartphones running Windows as well as Xbox consoles and services like Internet Explorer, according to reports.
Other companies including Google and Apple are also believed to be looking into a replacement in a move that could have a dramatic impact on online advertising revenue.
Third-party cookies have faced increasing regulation from the European Union in recent years, with UK companies now having to gain consent to use tracking devices from website visitors.
Some researchers predicted the change, which came into force in May 2012, could cost UK businesses as much as £10 billion in a combination of lost sales and damage to advertising.
Microsoft is in the early stage of research and there are no plans on when a possible replacement will be rolled out, according to AdAge magazine.
A spokesman from the company told AdAge: "We agree that going beyond the cookie is important. Our priority will be to find ways to do this that respect the interests of consumers."
Replacing a universal tracking system with one controlled by Microsoft could bring the company a major boost in advertising revenue.
Currently third-party cookies cannot be used on mobile devices, which is taking up a growing proportion of internet traffic in the UK. Microsoft hopes a new system would fix this loophole.
Gareth Davies, CEO at Adbrain, said that soon all of the major online players will "issue an execution warrant" for the cookie.
“The truth is that the cookie was never built for advertisers, and the massive shift to mobile has exposed this fact. Through attempts to reach consumers via multiple touchpoints, the tech giants have built up rich cross-device data."