As you might of just heard, Windows Live Installer is now available to install your favourite Windows Live Products. The products are listed with short description of what the service can do:
- Mail -A faster, easier, and safer way to manage your e-mail accounts
- Messenger - Connect, share, and make every conversation count
- Photo Gallery - Edit and upload photos and videos
- Writer - Easily pubish pictures, videos, and other rich content to your blog
- Toolbar - Search from any Web page with powerful protection
- Onecare Family Safety - Safer Web browsing and communications for your family
If you didn’t notice theres a new beta version of Windows Live Messenger 8.5(Version 2008 8.5.1288.816) that is bundled with the Installer. So whats new? Other then the version/build number, so far just various issues not detailed and is now available in 35 languages. Well post more as we know.
Microsoft today announced its acquisition of Colloquis, the conversational online business solution provider, formerly known as Conversagent.
Colloquis is best known in the messenger community for its bots such as SmarterChild, Encarta Instant Answers and ESP Billy, and more recently the free availability of the BuddyScript SDK which was able to be used in the Invasion of the Robots contest.
Microsoft plans to use Colloquis bot technology in a new service called Windows Live Agents, a conversational application that users can interact with via Windows Live Messenger. These agents are used to entertain, encourage engagement with products or services, provide new advertising opportunities, and for search and information retrieval.
Additionally, Microsoft is set to offer the Colloquis Automated Service Agent technology in a new Windows Live service called Service Agents. Windows Live Service Agents will provide a Web-based customer service application that interacts with users in conversational language. US based ISP Comcast currently use a Colloquis Service Agent which you can try out by going to Comcast help and launching Ask Comcast.
Microsoft has awarded another round of new Most Valuable Professionals for this quarter, which is also the first for the Windows Live competencies.
As I haven’t mentioned the MVP program much before, it is basically a reward program from Microsoft recognising people who contribute their expertise for Microsoft products in online and offline communities. The official Web site sums it up quite well:
Microsoft’s Most Valuable Professionals (MVPs) are recognized, credible and accessible individuals with expertise in one or more Microsoft products who actively participate in online and offline communities to share their knowledge and expertise with other Microsoft customers. [...] The Most Valuable Professional Program is the way that Microsoft formally acknowledges the accomplishments of these individuals for their contributions to community. It is focused on fostering a vibrant global community where Microsoft and customers learn about each other through valued ongoing relationships.
I was first awarded for the MSN Messenger group in October 2004 and have just been re-awarded for my third year, being moved into a new Windows Live Developer group.
Among the 24 new MVPs for the Windows Live groups is someone worth a special mention, Cyril Paciullo, better known as Patchou - the creator of Messenger Plus! Live. Wait, nevermind.
Due to privacy restrictions, Microsoft are unable to reveal who all those 24 MVPs are, so you can only see those who make their profile public at the MVP awardee directory.
There are currently four active Windows Live groups:
I’m told that out the 24 new MVPs, 9 are for Windows Live Mail Desktop, which also includes Outlook Express.
No doubt you’ve read other reviews of the second Windows Live Session by now. You’ve probably read about the features and insights into where in the development cycle the products are. The new mobile client looks very promising and the new mapping software has features to rival Google maps, but I doubt you’ve read much about the way the development focus seems to have shifted. Gone are the days of secrecy about the software!
Some of the people I spoke to are extremely enthusiastic about their jobs and their products. I spoke to one lady (sorry I forget your name!) about Windows Live Mail. Talking to her was very interesting, she was telling us about her favourite features and basically discussing how cool the software was. And as a user I’d have to agree with what she was saying. These people use these programs day in and day out. Not just for bug finding and testing purposes, but for pleasure!
I was also discussing what sort of plans there are with these Live sessions. The response seemed to be rather positive, Microsoft wants the user input and to meet people who are involved in the community surrounding their applications to give them very good feedback on features, what to include, what works and what doesn’t.
With the introduction of dev.live.com this shift is very visible, SDK’s being made available with support from forums is a very good sign that this trend will continue. With Microsoft developing the platforms and making interactions with those platforms easily accessible to developers, one can only imagine the add-ons and 3rd party applications that will start springing up adding more colour and depth to the base platforms.
So it seems to be very exciting time at Microsoft, after talking to one of the developers, Koji Kato. I realised this. He at least and hopefully others in the messenger development team seem to be very geared towards the user experience and development of new and innovative features. Instead of the old “here’s a feature now go use it†attitude of the past we seem to be getting a much more “here’s a feature, how well do you think it works?â€, which is what has been needed for a long time. I can only hope that Microsoft continues with this user based interaction and continues to develop in this way. We as users and developers can only benefit from it.
Windows Live Dev is your one-stop shop for the Windows Live Platform, including information on getting started with Windows Live services, latest documentation and APIs, samples, access to community areas and relevant blogs, and announcements of future releases and innovations.
Windows Live Dev is a new site and will be growing over time, adding more content and features.
The website includes SDK’s for:
- Custom Domains
- Expo
- Gadgets
- Messener
- Search
- Spaces
- Virtual Earth
- Windows Live ID
Also included are some forums to discuss ideas and get some help and give suggestions! It’s nice to see the developers are being supported a lot more by Microsoft, I hope this trend continues.
