We’ve been hearing rumors of the closure of MSN Groups and its replacement by Windows Live Groups for years now, last having written about it almost exactly a year ago. Now, however, in an email from Technical Support posted in the MSN Discussion public newsgroup, we have confirmation, and a timeline. In the email, a newsgroup poster who wrote Technical Support to ask for clarification on MSN Groups after an email went out to MSN Groups users in Italy telling them of the coming closure, and got a telling response. In the email, Claudia reveals that MSN Groups is “to close on February 21, 2009”, and that Windows Live Groups will launch on November 17, 2008.