In its bid to make the connected world faster and accessible to more consumers, Microsoft has partnered with popular social networking sites for the launch of the third version of its Windows Live online services.
Debuting on Tuesday at the Philippines’ SM Mall of Asia (MoA) in Pasay City, Microsoft executives announced the company is collaborating with popular social networking sites such as Flickr, LinkedIn, Pandora Media, Photobucket, Twitter, WordPress and Yelp, to combine activities from these sites into the new Windows Live through a new profile and the What’s New feed.
Likewise, Microsoft announced its global alliances with HP and China Telecom Corporation Ltd. to deliver Windows Live services to more people across the globe. HP will distribute Windows Live Photo Gallery with its consumer printers, including Photosmart and Deskjet lines beginning 2009. The combined offer provides HP customers with Windows Live Photo Gallery, an end-to-end photo management and printing solution.
Meanwhile, in the Philippines, the Microsoft made a local alliance with the country’s largest chain of Internet cafes, the Netopia Internet Café.
Craig Law-Smith, Microsoft’s South East Asia marketing director for online services group, said as Windows Live customers share photos, update their profiles, blog and write reviews, the activities will automatically be published to their Windows Live network.
Law-Smith claimed the new generation of Windows Live would give consumers the added convenience of having a central place to organize and manage various data and information.
“This third version of Windows Live has free storage of up to 25 gigabytes and can be used in any cellphone with an Internet browser,” Law-Smith said, adding that Microsoft’s goal is to allow its 460 million Windows Live customers to make online friend updates, share e-mails, messaging, photos and files within their networks of friends, family, and business associates, among others.
He noted the Windows Live also includes free downloadable software that helps simplify digital content like music and photos usually stored on PCs, mobile phones, and Web sites.
Law-Smith reported that global population of Internet users is growing fast. It has been estimated that there are 20 million registered Internet users in the Philippines alone. Filipinos go online to send and receive email (54%), play online games (45%), and participate in online forums and discussion boards (33%).
Statistics show that the average person has three e-mail accounts and four additional accounts requiring a password, including social networks, cell phone contact lists, instant messaging and e-mail.
“Windows Live does one contact list of friends and all information are online and could be accessed anywhere,” said Barrie Ooi, head of Microsoft’s Windows Live for South East Asia online services group.
“Our vision is to simplify the ‘connected world’ for it to be faster and accessible for the consumer,” Ooi said, adding that Windows Live is focused on communication, content, and search.
The executive said that one billion of the world’s six billion population are online users and that 11% of the 460 million Windows Live users are online all the time. Both reported about 8.2 million messages are sent daily for Windows Live.
Law-Smith said about 40% of the world’s Internet users are now in Asia-Pacific with 70 million of them using broadband.
He noted the number of online users in the Philippines has grown dramatically in the last eight years, from only two million in year 2000 to 20 million in 2008.
Both Law-Smith and Ooi said Microsoft will roll-out the new version of Windows Live to its customers over the coming weeks and will be made available globally in 54 countries in 48 languages on December 13.
