Launch of new generation Windows Live

Starting next month, users of Windows Live in Thailand will experience a new set of features that will allow them a simpler connection with life in the outside world.

The next generation of Windows Live will be rolled out in 54 countries and in 48 languages, starting on December 12.

Thailand currently has 9 million Windows Live users, and Microsoft Advertising (MSN) Thailand's national sales manager, Kamolpat Swaengkit, says this number includes 6 million Hotmail accounts and 4.7 million MSN accounts. 

Windows Live offers five services, including Hotmail, MSN, Space, video and portal. The company believes that with the new platform, the number of users in Thailand will rise by at least 20 per cent in 2009.

The next generation is a big move for Windows Live, aiming to enhance users' experience when using not only Microsoft's online services but also the social networking services provided by others.

"We have enhanced the features of Windows Live to make it simpler and faster, with more flexible ways to communicate and offering easier ways to integrate and manage all of a user's digital material. The next generation is optimised for users' experience, with ability to operate across devices and channels such as computers, mobile phones and websites," said the head of Microsoft's Windows Live Online Service Group in Southeast Asia, Barrie Ooi.

He said the three main purposes for which people made daily use of the Internet were content - portal, news, and magazines; communication - e-mail, instant messaging and social networking; and search - search engine and local search. In Thailand, the proportion of Internet-usage time dedicated to each of the three purposes in the first half of 2008 was 32, 33, and 33 per cent respectively.

Of the 33 per cent of Internet usage time spent on communication, users spend 9, 13, and 10 per cent respectively on e-mail, instant messaging and social networking.

"We are number one in e-mail service, with 271 million Hotmail messages sent every day, and we are also number one in instant message services, with 8.2 billion messages sent per day by 250 million MSN users worldwide.  In Thailand, around 120 million MSN messages are sent each day by 4.7 million MSN users," Ooi said.

A new social feature will allow users to update their profiles with the newest activities across the network including Web and photo sharing, with an increase in Windows Live SkyDrive memory from five to 25 gigabytes. 

For MSN service, there will be new personalised features including drag-and-drop photo sharing via the conversation window, and a "what's news" feed from contacts across the Web.

Hotmail will have faster spam filtering, with an 80-per-cent improvement in effect. It will also allow users to aggregate their other Post Office Protocol e-mail into their Hotmail account.