Windows Live gets Facebook-themed revamp

 

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By Stuart Turton

Posted on 13 Nov 2008 at 15:38

Microsoft is overhauling Windows Live Services, with one eye on the social-networking phenomenon.

The makeover will see Microsoft integrate many of its online services under a Facebook-esque homepage, on which users can post personal information and status updates.

Hotmail, Spaces and Messenger will be folded into the homepage, with new emails, picture posts and other updates appearing as alerts on a news feed.

Microsoft is also opening the service to third-party plugins from Amazon, Twitter and Flickr among others, with new tweets and blog posts automatically shared with friends.

Users can also form or join groups and organise social events through public calenders.

"Think of Windows Live as the single place where people using our e-mail, messaging and photo-sharing services can stay connected," says Chris Jones, corporate vice president of Windows Live Experience Program Management at Microsoft.

"Our customers communicate through many unconnected web services and want access to it all from a single location - without worrying about how it's done."

Microsoft says the new look Windows Live will hit UK shores in early 2009.