Microsoft today has added web-based support for IM on select Windows Live web pages, including Hotmail and the Win Live people page.
The feature was already added for users in Japan, Spain, the U.K., Italy, and France, though will now be added in North America, Brazil, Germany, and other European countries. The service will eventually support all users.
The new web-based IM support will make it easier for people to connect and use Windows Live Messenger from restricted computers such as at work.
The move comes as Microsoft tries to remain competitive against Google and Yahoo, who already have web-based IM support.When you try to view your contacts, you simply see all of them paginated in alphabetical order, with a green glow around their avatar indicating they are online. This will prove less intuitive as you have to sort through your list to see who is online, instead of being able to see an Online group.
Another very significant issue with Windows Live Messenger is that you can’t sign in to more than one location simultaneously.
Once you log into the web-based IM, you are immediately signed off from your desktop, unlike Gmail. Many people want to keep their desktop IM on throughout the day, while using it at work, so they can have all of their messages at the end of the day at home.
Hopefully, Microsoft will quickly address these important issues.
In related Windows Live news, as part of Microsoft’s strategy to aggregate activity streams from around the web into the Win Live feed, Microsoft is set to announce new partners today, the most important being Facebook.
It seems that it will be the first time the Facebook feed can be pulled outside of Facebook.
Microsoft is also set to announce new partners including MySpace, Hi5, Digg, LinkedIn, among others.
You will also be able to move your Win Live contacts between the partners, including Facebook.
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Questions? Write to Hercules K at hercules@business2press.com
Facebook
May 11th, 2009 at 9:51 am
“the first time the Facebook feed can be pulled outside of Facebook” not. For quite some time it has been possible to display Facebook notes, status and links through Friendfeed, where you can then push them to Twitter or pull them through RSS to wherever you wish. However Facebook killed the RSS link with the latest redesign, but the functionality within Friendfeed is still alive.
May 11th, 2009 at 9:51 am
“the first time the Facebook feed can be pulled outside of Facebook” not. For quite some time it has been able to display Facebook notes, status and links through Friendfeed, where you can then push it to Twitter or pull it through RSS to wherever you wish. However Facebook killed the RSS link with the latest redesign, but the functionality within Friendfeed is still alive.
May 11th, 2009 at 9:51 am
“the first time the Facebook feed can be pulled outside of Facebook” not. For quite some time it has been possible to display Facebook notes, status and links through Friendfeed, where you can then push them to Twitter or pull them through RSS to wherever you wish. However Facebook killed the RSS link with the latest redesign, but the functionality within Friendfeed is still alive.
May 11th, 2009 at 9:51 am
“the first time the Facebook feed can be pulled outside of Facebook” not. For quite some time it has been possible to display Facebook notes, status and links through Friendfeed, where you can then push them to Twitter or pull them through RSS to wherever you wish. However Facebook killed the RSS link with the latest redesign, but the functionality within Friendfeed is still alive.
May 11th, 2009 at 4:51 pm
“the first time the Facebook feed can be pulled outside of Facebook” not. For quite some time it has been possible to display Facebook notes, status and links through Friendfeed, where you can then push them to Twitter or pull them through RSS to wherever you wish. However Facebook killed the RSS link with the latest redesign, but the functionality within Friendfeed is still alive.