At the end of 2010, we’re looking back to the last twelve months and ask ourselves: How has Windows Live developed in this year?
Thereby, we see three major points: Connecting to Social Media got stronger, future-proof steps toward Cloud Computing were made, and connected with these two, the Wave 4 updates for all Windows Live services and Essentials.
Wave 4
The first half of the year was dominated by Wave 4, the fourth development wave of the Windows Live services.
With this update, the Windows Live team focused efficiently on selected products: Messenger, Hotmail and Photo Gallery were much revamped and enhanced, Office Web Apps were developed from scratch.
Social Networking
Since the beginning of this year, Windows Live is active on Facebook and Twitter as well. In the meantime, many thousand fans use the provided offers to inform themselves or exchange Windows Live news.
With this focus, Windows Live reached out to more partners from the social networking sector, e.g. with Facebook and LinkedIn. The intended goal is not to be the best in all sectors, but to offer the best features in Microsoft’s central tasks. Partnerships are a way to shorten your ways on the web and to provide you with existing offers that you already use, now connected with Windows Live.
For instance, Windows Live Messenger 2011 puts the focus more on social networks. Using the new social networking view, you can follow all updates from your favorite services from one central location. In the new Windows Live Hotmail, the one click filter “News from social networks” helps you to remove clutter in your inbox.
Cloud Computing
In Photo Gallery and Movie Maker, it got much easier to share your fresh Photofused images, your slideshows or movies with your friends on social networks. Windows Live Skydrive gives you great flexibility — from numerous devices with Web access, you can upload and backup your data from wherever you are, share them with your friends, send them to collaborate with your colleagues or publish them to the public.
For the new year, Windows Live is again preparing various enhancements and news for you — Happy New Year!