Today in San Paulo, Brazil, Microsoft Corp SEO Steve Balmer previewed the next version of Windows Live Messenger, Windows Live Messenger Wave 4. It’s looking great although one might complain how bloated the software has become. Messenger now integrates with Flickr, Facebook, Skydrive, and many other services. It basically integrates all your friends (who are on separate online services) into 1 – great concept. Not sure whether it will stop you in going to Facebook and interact with your friends there, I’ll have to give it a test and try it out later.
The other applications in the Wave 4 suite are coming in the next following months. Looking forward to see the new Windows Live Writer as I might use it again to write blog posts.
Below is the official press release and I’ve also included a nice video as an example on how the new Messenger works.
New Windows Live Messenger previewed in Brazil
The latest version of Messenger to include new look, features and improved ways of aggregating social networks.
Sydney, Australia: Today in Sao Paulo Brazil, Microsoft Corp CEO Steve Ballmer previewed the new version of Windows Live Messenger as part of a discussion with students at the Universidad de Sao Paulo. The Messenger preview was the first announcement relating to the new suite of Windows Live services to be rolled out in Australia in the coming months. The new Windows Live focuses on aggregating social networks to help individuals and their friends facilitate more meaningful conversations and social experiences.
Over 320 million customers worldwide use Windows Live Messenger every month sending 10 billion messages every day. In Australia, nearly 5 million people use Messenger each month* sending an average of 125 million messages each day making it the nation’s most popular instant messaging service.
The new version of Messenger will pull together updates from social networks like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and LinkedIn, allowing friends to share, comment, and send messages across these networks all directly from within Messenger. Messenger will also make it easier to share information from sites like YouTube and Flickr by allowing content to be exchanged within a conversation window. And people will be able to prioritise who they want to receive information and updates from through the favourites function, which will automatically order the information displayed within Messenger.
Commenting on the announcement, Alex Parsons, Director of Marketing and MSN Products, ninemsn, said: “We are extremely excited by the latest release of Messenger as it will improve the way millions of Australians communicate and stay in touch with each other. Features such as personalisation, photo sharing, HD compatible video conferencing and the improved accessibility of Messenger wherever you connected to the internet really make this the best way for people to communicate online.”
New features announced today include:
- High-definition capable video chat: Full screen, high-definition video chat with an HD webcam. Photos, videos or games can also be shared in real time to watch together with friends.
- Integration of Bing results: Integration of Bing search results recommends searches and makes it easier to add photos and videos from across the web without having to leave the conversation window.
- Social Highlights: New way to view social updates designed around “favourite” people, giving their social updates priority.
- Single contact list: Automatically de-duplicates contact lists from different social networks to provide one master list of friends, including all the different ways to communicate and share content with them across the various networks.
- Synchronised status updates: Automatically synchronises a Messenger update with other social networks and vice versa.
- Access Messenger anywhere: Access contacts, social updates, instant messaging, photo sharing and status updates via Web Messenger or on popular smartphones when away from a computer.
Messenger is currently available to customers in over 76 markets and 48 languages worldwide. Today’s announcement kicks off a series of new experiences that will be delivered to customers on their PC, on the web and on their mobile phones.
When the new Messenger is released in the coming months, it will be available for download at
http://download.live.com. To learn more today, please visit http://www.messengerpreview.com/.
A real life video example about the new Social intregation on Windows Live Messenger Wave 4:
It’s not out yet though, which is a bummer :(
