Windows Live™, is a new set of personal Internet services and software that are designed to bring together in one place all the relationships, information and interests people care about most, with enhanced safety and security features across their PC, devices and the Web.
Tools & Services of real/virtual integeration
1. Find and Discover Information
Live.com, customizable home page for Windows Live, helps users quickly customize their home page, preview content, create multiple pages based on their interests, and add their favorite content from millions of information sources and RSS feeds.
Live.com will also be a platform for third-party developers to build and deliver customized services, called “gadgets,” to customers. Live.com is available in beta form at http://www.live.com, and more information can be found at http://ideas.live.com.
Windows Live™ Search. With expected delivery in 2006, Windows Live Search will deliver powerful and personal search services that help consumers find what they are looking for on the Web, their desktop, their mobile device or in their local geographic area, such as instant answers, documents, pictures, multimedia content, local information and immersive maps. Windows Live Search will be a core element of the overall Windows Live experience, powering compelling scenarios across the Windows Live services.
Windows Live™ Toolbar offers people the ability to search from any Web page using Windows Live Search while helping them easily save, organize and share the information that they find online. Advanced protection against phishing and pop-up blocking also help people browse more safely while they search. Additional features of the beta include RSS detection and automatic aggregation to a person’s personalized Live.com home page, capability for effortless customization so people can choose and arrange only the buttons they want, and tabbed browsing for quicker Web surfing. The Windows Live Toolbar includes technology from Onfolio Inc., which enables customers to save, collect and share any part or the full Web page of the information they discover while searching the Web.
2. Enhance and Deepen Relationships
Windows Live will provide users with a set of new and more meaningful ways to communicate and share with the people they care about:
Windows Live™ Mail. Windows Live Mail is Microsoft’s new, global Web mail service, built from the ground up to be faster, safer and simpler while delivering powerful new customer scenarios. Currently in limited beta testing, Windows Live Mail will continue to evolve through customer feedback, scaling to more customers over the coming months. MSN® Hotmail® customers will be able to use Windows Live Mail with their existing Hotmail ID. People can sign up to join the Windows Live Mail beta at http://ideas.live.com.
Windows Live™ Messenger. Windows Live Messenger builds on MSN Messenger to help people develop even deeper connections with the people they care about through a variety of experiences — from communication to sharing. Future enhancements will enable people to place PC-based calling through Windows Live Messenger (this feature will be provided through third-party commercial relationships). Windows Live Messenger will also allow users to more easily share files such as their personal pictures and documents with their contacts. People can learn more about the Windows Live Messenger beta in the coming months at http://ideas.live.com.
Windows Live™ Favorites is a service that enables individuals to access their Microsoft Internet Explorer and MSN Explorer favorites from any PC that’s online. The service is currently in beta form at http://ideas.live.com.
Windows Live for mobile devices. People do not always have easy access to a PC, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be able to access their important communications or information via Windows Live services. Microsoft is working to ensure that Windows Live services including Windows Live Mail and Windows Live Messenger and more are available through mobile devices — from rich experiences on Microsoft Windows Mobile®-powered devices to basic Internet-enabled phones.
3. Explore and Find New Interests
Windows Live will deliver new ways for customers to discover and explore:
Social Networking. Social Networking features for Windows Live will be based on the people whom customers know rather than strangers who may visit their blog or Web site. Social Networking in Windows Live will be centered on a customer’s unified contact list, enabling the user to find and connect with people who have similar interests, but may be new to his or her social circle. Customers will be able to choose and control who has access to discover and connect with them.
Windows Live Spaces. Microsoft will continue to invest in services that help people express themselves, and find, connect and nurture deeper relationships with others around the world. MSN Spaces will transition to Windows Live Spaces as Microsoft adds new features to the service next year.
4. Protection and Performance
Windows Live will offer consumers a set of tools and services to help keep their computing experience safer:
Windows Live™ Safety Center. Helping protect customers is important to Microsoft. The Windows Live Safety Center is a free, Web-based, on-demand service that will enable customers to scan their PC for viruses and clean their PC, as well as perform other tasks to help protect their PC and Windows Live services. Windows Live Safety Center is currently in beta form and can be accessed through http://ideas.live.com.
Windows OneCare™ Live. Customers will be able to take the health of their PC to the next level with Windows OneCare Live, a robust subscription service that not only helps protect your PC from viruses and spyware, but also helps ensure that it continues to run well by keeping it up to date and helping make sure the system is maintained regularly. Windows OneCare Live will also manage backups to help give customers peace of mind that they won’t lose the information, photos, music, documents or other files on their PC that are important to them. Windows OneCare Live is currently in managed beta testing, and people can nominate themselves participate at http://ideas.live.com.
Integrated protection. Beyond the Windows Live Safety Center and Windows OneCare Live, Microsoft is also making many more investments to help protect customers as they use Windows Live services, such as the Microsoft Phishing Filter, currently available for the MSN Search Toolbar and which will be available in the future for Windows Live Search customers, Smartscreen spam and phishing filtering for Windows Live Mail, and much more.