Windows Live services online: what you can expect.
March 15, 2006 by Gaman
From email, to gadgets to antivirus protection, Microsoft Windows Live seems to churn out a new Window Live service by the minute.
Over the next 3-6 months, Microsoft plans to ship more innovative technology than during their entire 10-year history via Live.com
Google’s ability to introduce many new products and services in a short period of time and attracts mass followers has impressed many. With Live.com, Microsoft does not have to play catch up anymore. Yahoo!, McAfee, Symantec, eBay among others would definitely feel the heat if Live.com were to take off.
Microsoft is taking a bet to change the game and face the competitors head on.
It’s interesting to see the kind of service they have on offered, at least to geek and computer enthusiasts. But mass adaptation will likely to take a while. But I feel the potential is already there.
| Product | Code name | Description | Competitiors | Status |
| Windows Live Mail | Kahuna | Successor to Hotmail, more like a traditional e-mail program such as Outlook | Yahoo Mail, Gmail | Reached the “M5″ beta stage earlier this month, about 900,000 users |
| Windows Live Search | Microsoft’s homegrown search engine | Google, Yahoo, Accoona | Public beta launched last week | |
| Windows Live Local | Maps and directions; Bird’s eye and street-level images | Google, Yahoo | Public beta launched in December | |
| Windows Live Search Mobile | The mobile version of homegrown search | Google, Yahoo | Beta | |
| Windows Live Expo | Fremont | A free online marketplace for goods that can also be limited to a social network | Craigslist, eBay | Recently moved from internal and limited testing into U.S. public beta |
| Windows Live Family Safety Settings | Vegas | Parental control tools for monitoring children’s online use | Net Nanny | In limited beta with fewer than 10,000 testers; public test expected in early summer |
| Windows Live OneCare | A1 | Subscription antivirus service | Symantec, McAfee | Updated 315,000-user beta added anti-spyware; paid service to launch in June |
| Windows Live Video | Warhol | User-generated video | YouTube, Google Video | Not yet in public testing |
| Windows Live Messenger | Successor to MSN Messenger, adds social networking and contact-sharing features | Yahoo Messenger; AIM; ICQ; Gmail chat; Plaxo | Beta with 1.5 million testers | |
| Live.com | Based on Start.com, a homepage with gadgets, RSS feeds and more | MyYahoo, Google | Public beta with 3 million registered users | |
| Microsoft Gadgets | Small applications written in Javascript and HTML, used by Live.com and Windows Vista | Yahoo Widgets, Apple’s Dashboard | More than 160 gadgets available | |
| AdCenter | Moonshot | For serving up paid search ads; Uses demographics to help target the marketing message | Yahoo, Google | Launched in Singapore and France and in beta in the U.S.; Serves 40% of MSN paid-search ads |
| Windows Live Safety Center | Free basic antivirus protection | McAfee, Symantec | Beta; performed 1.3 million scans and cleaned 150,000 PCs as of February. | |
| Windows Live Favorites | Stores Web bookmarks online | Public beta since November | ||
| Windows Live Custom Domains | A way for people to use Windows Live Mail with their existing e-mail domain | Limited beta, U.S.-only | ||
| Windows Live Toolbar | A collection of services under a common Web toolbar | Yahoo, Google | Beta launched last week | |
| Windows Live Answers | Direct answers to fact-based Web queries | Yahoo Answers; Google Answers | No ETA | |
| Windows Live Clipboard | Outlined by Ray Ozzie , uses a mashup of technologies to allow an online equivalent of a PC’s clipboard | |||
| Windows Live ID | A new authentication tool for Live services, based on Passport, Microsoft’s once-controversial authentication service | Liberty Alliance | Expected to be released later this year | |
| Windows Live Mail Desktop | A desktop application for viewing Windows Live Mail | Google, Yahoo | Expected to go into early beta testing this month, broader testing later this year |
[via CNET News.com ]
No comments yet.