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The problem with the protracted beta availability of so many of Microsoft’s Windows Live applications is that it is fairly anticlimactic when they do come out of beta as they did today:
Today Microsoft Corp. launched the next generation of Windows Live, providing consumers worldwide with a compelling new set of tools and services that help make it easier than ever to communicate and share with the important people in their lives, from anywhere they have Web access across multiple devices. And, with built- in security features, consumers can use Windows Live services with confidence.
A free and fun upgrade for the online and Windows experiences, the new Windows Live was launched today at http://www.windowslive.com and at events in New York and Los Angeles.
If you are still awake, here’s the rundown:
Tonight Microsoft started rolling out an event planning feature called Windows Live Events for their Spaces blogging service:
In recent months Microsoft has persuaded mobile phone maker Nokia to try Windows Live Search and support PlayReady DRM on some of their phones, but today they took a big step further with the announcement of the trial availability of a suite of Windows Live services in Europe and the Middle East on some Nokia mobiles:
CNET’s Martin Lamonica has some buzz about what Microsoft will be announcing next week at their MIX07 conference:
Microsoft next week at its Mix07 conference plans to detail more generous business terms for partners to use its Live online services and to open up new application programming interfaces for Windows Live Spaces.
The company will allow outside developers–which can be at commercial enterprises–to build mash-up applications that generate up to one million unique user visits at their sites per month for free. Beyond that, Microsoft will charge 25 cents per user per year or look to establish a business relationship where it can deliver online ads to those sites, company executives said.
In addition, Microsoft will provide APIs to photos or contact information for its Windows Live Spaces users if they give permission. Windows Live Spaces is Microsoft’s social networking site where people can post blogs, share photos and other information.
The goal is to drive traffic to Microsoft’s Web properties and entice Web businesses to use Microsoft products and services, executives said.
In the face of all this leaking, the folks at Microsoft’s Windows Live Dev News blog are gritting their teeth and suggesting that http://dev.live.com will have all the details on Monday.
Meanwhile, InfoWorld’s Elizabeth Montalbano reports that sources say that Microsoft will also be announcing that portions of Microsoft’s Silverlight “Flash killer” will be open sourced in order to better compete with Adobe. Microsoft had already promised that a Silverlight beta would be released at MIX07.
