The line of Windows Live services that Microsoft has developed appeared to be catching on. Just as everybody was getting comfortable with the entire Live line like Windows Live Mail over Hotmail, or Windows Live Shopping over MSN Shopping, Microsoft decides they’re reverting back to old names. A week, ago, Microsoft announced that their mail service will officially be named Windows Live Hotmail which took many people by surprise. Why all of a sudden the change?
Microsoft didn’t stop with Hotmail either. As Mary Jo Foley over at ZDNet points out, Windows Live Wifi will be officially be named “MSN Wifi”, and Windows Live Shopping will be going back to “MSN Shopping”. So is the ‘Live Brand” just a test bed for new services?
Perhaps they are sticking with the MSN branding because it’s already made a name for itself, and they don’t want to have to go through the process of marketing it until it’s a common household name?
After the change to the mail service, I’m wondering if they will even offer the @Live.com addresses like was originally planned. Back in June of 2006, rumor was that the @Live.com addresses were going to be released within the month. June came and went, and all that came of it was a trick to get one through the back-door. If you used the trick (like I did), you may end up being only one of a handful of people that got one of the @live.com addresses.
Microsoft has yet to give an explanation for all of this, but it seems as though they jumped the gun a little to fast when they decided to re-brand everything in the first place, and now they’re regretting it and making the necessary changes to get them back to where they were before Live even came into the picture.
Enjoyed the post? Subscribe to our feed to get a daily dose of CyberNet!
Tags: Web Sites, Apple, Downloads, Microsoft, MSN, Screenshots, Windows Live Hotmail, Windows Live Mail
Related Posts:
- Microsoft Rebranding Complete for Windows Live Hotmail
- Windows Live Hotmail? Microsoft Branding Confusion
- Microsoft Office 2007 Gets New Icons
- Microsoft Serious About Improving Their Brand
- LiveStation Does Not Belong to Microsoft
Looks like Live rolled over and died!
Damn, that’s funny.
It is lookin’ that way, isn’t it!
I just want to know what they are going to do with the @Live.com email addresses. I would have thought they would release those email address for new sign-ups when Vista launched, but that is obviously not the case.
And tomorrow’s meaningless Microsoft change will be…….. shaking magic 8 ball ……
Stay tuned folks