|
|
msn.com:
read the article below.
MSN
URL http://www.msn.com/
Commercial? Mixed
Type of site Portal
Registration Optional
Owner Microsoft Corporation
Created by MSN, Microsoft
For other uses, see MSN (disambiguation).
For the IM service colloquially known as 'MSN', see .NET Messenger Service.
MSN (short for Microsoft Network) is a collection of Internet services
provided by Microsoft. Initially released on August 24, 1995, to coincide
with the release of Windows 95. The range of services provided has changed
significantly since its release. The Hotmail webmail service was amongst the
first (as of May 7th, 2007 it is being replaced by Windows Live Hotmail),
followed by the instant messenger service MSN Messenger, which has recently
been replaced by Windows Live Messenger. According to Alexa.com, MSN.com is
currently ranked 2nd amongst all websites for Traffic Rank.[1]
In large part, MSN was rebranded in 2005 to Windows Live, which saw the
release of Windows Live Hotmail (previously Windows Live Mail) and Windows
Live Messenger. Microsoft overhauled its online software and services in a
climate of increasing competition from rivals such as Google, and Yahoo!.
The Windows Live brand is currently being rolled out service-by-service,
with rebranded services being classed as Beta tests initially. It is
anticipated that the MSN service will aim at the personal and family user,
whilst Windows Live will be a dedicated search facility for various media.
In the United States and Canada, MSN is not only a content provider and
search engine, it is additionally an Internet Service Provider. With around
9 million subscribers, MSN is the second largest Internet Service Provider
in the United States behind AOL service with about 26.5 million. In other
countries, MSN uses underwriters for their services; in the UK, Microsoft
use BT group.
The term "MSN" has come to be synonymous with MSN Messenger in Internet
slang. To use MSN services, users must have a Windows Live ID account, an
account system which allows access to all of the MSN facilities. One can
sign-up using any e-mail address, and can then use personalized MSN and
Windows Live features requiring the use of a Windows Live ID. These
personalized features include My MSN, MSN Hotmail (now Windows Live Hotmail)
and the ability to sign into Windows Live Messenger, and the now retired (as
from Windows Vista) Windows Messenger. As of 2007, MSN has more than 225
million users.
In 2007 Microsoft plans to set up in Shanghai, China, a research and
development center for MSN service. It will be the company's first center of
such kind situated outside of the United States. Being based in Shanghai's
Zizhu Science Park, the research and development center will develop
Internet software. Its set up is estimated at $20 million. Microsoft, in the
new center, will have a technical support team for its MSN service. In the
future, the company hopes MSN Messenger will play an important role in
everyday life of Chinese teenagers and young professionals. Several setbacks
caused Microsoft to create its own facility for MSN service. One of such
setback is the resignation of Luo Chuan, who headed the Windows Live unit in
China and who was also responsible for Chinese MSN portal. [2]
History
MSN was originally conceived as an online service provider in the vein of
America Online, supplying local and proprietary content through an interface
that matched that of Windows 95's Windows Explorer.
The MSN group began life in the Advanced Technology Group, headed by Nathan
Myhrvold and group was called AT-OLS (Advanced Technologies Online Systems
group.
Following the rapid adoption of the Internet, partly fueled by the built-in
IP protocol capabilities of Windows 95, the service was then rebranded in a
new "MSN 2.0" incarnation, which combined access to the Internet with web
delivered proprietary content.
The new content made extensive use of multimedia and interactive features,
including VBScript and early implementations of Macromedia Flash for
animations. While the approach was quite unique, the content wasn't easily
accessible by users with low-end computers and dial-up connections
(high-bandwidth Internet access hadn't yet hit the mainstream). As a result,
the service was again rebranded as a more traditional Internet service
provider. On February 14, 2000, MSN adopted its current multi-colored
"butterfly" logo. [3]
MSN Affiliates
Microsoft has collaborated with many other service providers, as well as
other Microsoft departments to expand the appeal of the Microsoft Network,
examples include:
* Microsoft adCenter
* MSN Shopping — affiliated with eBay, PriceGrabber and Shopping.com
* MSN Encarta encyclopedia with various levels of access to information and
cost.
In addition MSN Premium subscribers also receive:
* MSN Firewall and MSN Virus Guard, provided by McAfee
* Webroot Spy Sweeper for MSN
Microsoft has found increasing competition from other service providers,
such as Google and Yahoo! The recent launch of Google Earth was shortly
followed by a similar offering from MSN. Suffice it to say, MSN, Yahoo! and
Google are rapidly expanding the services they offer, and with little
difference between them, except personal preference. Similarly, while MSN
Premium does offer the use of Firewall, Virus and Spyware programs for free,
other broadband providers also offer similar (or identical) services for
their subscribers.
Windows Live
In 2006, the majority of MSN services and software were upgraded and
re-branded with the new Windows Live name. This is part of Microsoft’s
strategy to improve its online offerings through better services and
software using the Windows brand name. MSN will then become only an online
content provider through internet portals such as msn.com.
Windows Live will use new web technology to offer software-like features and
functionality through one's web browser. This is evident with Windows Live
Hotmail where a right-click menu can be used and the interface mimics that
of Microsoft Outlook. Windows Live also accompanies Office Live which will
offer business-orinted application service through an Internet browser.
Completed and speculated name changes:
* MSN Hotmail is now called Windows Live Hotmail,
* MSN Messenger is now called Windows Live Messenger,
* MSN Search is now called Windows Live Search,
* MSN Virtual Earth is now called Microsoft Virtual Earth,
* MSN Mobile will become Windows Live Mobile,
* MSN Spaces are now called Windows Live Spaces, and
* MSN Alerts are now called Windows Live Alerts,
* MSN Winks are now called Windows Live Winks .
The future status of two current offerings, MSN Explorer and MSN Groups, is
not currently public.
New services have been announced, such as Windows Live OneCare Safety
Scanner and Windows Live Favorites. Msn has been updated to Windows Live
Messenger < Summary.
Windows live messenger is a chat room type where it ables people to talk to
others.
References
1. ^ Alexa - Related info for: MSN.com. Retrieved on 2006-10-12.
2. ^ Microsoft's Research and Development Center in China
3. ^ Microsoft Corporation (2000-02-14). New Microsoft Ad Campaign
Encourages People to Experience The Everyday Web on MSN. Now MSN has grown
inevitably as new services have been added on. And that is why MSN is cool..
Press release.
read the copyright
Current News: a dictionary of current search terms and popular interest topics.