MicrosoftAccording to Computer World, it appears that the details of the new Microsoft Web analytics tool have leaked onto the Internet.

Microsoft plans to release a beta version of its Web analytics tool called “Gatineau” this summer, says Ian, who works for Microsoft’s Digital Advertising Solutions Group. He is in charge of bringing Gatineau to market.

The unique point of this feature appears that it allows users to segment Web traffic both by age as well as by gender. Microsoft will extract the demographic data from users’ Live ID profiles.

Ian further adds:

I would stress that we get this information anonymously, and there is no use of personally identifiable information, such as name or e-mail address, in the product.

You can read more here:

Details of Microsoft’s Web analytics tool leaked to the Net (Computer World)

Want to see Gatineau? (Blog with screenshots of Gatineau)

Microsoft will be phasing in the project slowly to avoid the kind of performance problems that Google faced when it launched its free Google Analytics service. When it was first launched, Google had to suspend new subscriptions for a week due to unforeseen demand impeding its performance.

I’m not sure about you, but the aspect of Gatineau that caught my attention is how Microsoft is leveraging its collection of Live ID profiles to give better analytics. It is rather innovative, and I have no doubts at all that Microsoft designed this feature to benefit its users.

However, I cannot help but wonder exactly how much information is collected and stored up about myself. Gmail accounts, AdSense advertiser, MSN Live ID, MSDN Subscriber, MS Partner programmer, and the list goes on.

What are your thoughts about Microsoft’s Gatineau?