Microsoft makes Live online service live

By Alun Williams

Posted on 2 Nov 2005 at 16:16

Microsoft has announced two new brands for the delivery of online services: Windows Live and Microsoft Office Live.

Bill Gates unveiled the company's new online strategy, with Windows Live intended 'to bring together all the elements of an individual's digital world' while Office Live helps small companies 'do business online'.

'These new offerings demonstrate how software is evolving through the power of services in ways that enable more dynamic and relevant experiences for people,' said Gates. 'Our goal is to make Windows, Office and Xbox further come alive for our customers at work, home and play.'

Described by Microsoft as 'a brand new Internet experience', the Windows Live set of technologies include a number of beta services: Live.com uses RSS and Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (AJAX) to customise data sources, Windows Live Mail is another Web email service, Windows Live Messenger extends instant messaging capabilities, Windows Live Safety Center is for scanning and removing viruses on demand, and Windows OneCare Live is a PC health subscription service. Finally, Windows Live Favorites enables you to access Internet Explorer and MSN Explorer favourites from any PC that's online.

The website http://ideas.live.com is where you can try some of the Windows Live beta services, but not all are yet live...

Microsoft Office Live, meanwhile, is intended to help better manage business practices online - automating some tasks and improving collaboration. The initial Office Live offerings can be used independently of Microsoft Office, but are closely integrated with the familiar Office document formats.

Services include Office Live Basics, which is intended to help small businesses establish an online presence (with a domain name, a website with 30MB of storage and five Web email accounts). There will also be a set of SharePoint-based subscription services covering a range of business applications, such as project management, sales management, and expense reporting.

A key element of the strategy is an advertising network powered by MSN adCenter, which will help bring advertisers closer to users of the service, be they using desktop computers, mobile devices or even Internet Protocol television (IPTV). This is the point where Microsoft will once again be taking on its Internet-based rivals, Google and Yahoo!, in the battle for context-generated advertising.

'Our dream is to deliver a seamless experience where all the technology in your life and business comes together in a way that "just works" for you,' said Ray Ozzie, the creator of IBM's Lotus Notes and Microsoft's chief technical officer. 'Seamless experiences put people and the things they want to accomplish at the center, with technology easily and transparently connecting them to the people, devices and information that matter most.'

It was back in 2003 that Microsoft first began adding Live to its group collaboration product names. Microsoft Office Live Meeting 2003, formerly known as PlaceWare Conference Center, and Microsoft Office Live Communications Server 2003, formerly Microsoft Office Real-Time Communications Server 2003 both appeared in the summer of 2003.