LiveSide - News blog : Windows Live Groups

MSN Groups to Close: Windows Live Groups to begin Nov. 17

Kip Kniskern — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 16:23:00 GMT

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.

A post on the Community Feedback MSN Group, dedicated to Group managers, requested information as well, and received the following response, which while Geri doesn’t go into the detail that Claudia does, does seem to confirm at least that “change is coming”:

Change is coming

As you may have noticed we've made considerable investments across MSN and Windows Live to enhance your product experience while aligning our online services brands. As we make new product investments, our intention is to offer new products and capabilities while keeping you connected to your online network.

Can you give me specifics?

For now, unfortunately, I cannot give specifics about the new products and updates we have in the works. We will however be communicating updates in the near future so definitely be on the look-out for those.

Any important announcements from Microsoft about MSN Groups will be posted at the MSN Groups homepage (http://groups.msn.com). In the near future, we hope to provide you with more information and establish communication channels through which you can provide feedback.

We appreciate your continued support as we strive to provide you with the highest quality service available. Thank you for using MSN Groups.

Sincerely

Geri

From Claudia's email it appears that MSN Groups users will not be able to migrate directly to Windows Live Groups. Apparently, however, a service, called Multiply, will be offered in order to migrate MSN Groups to Multiply so that they can be preserved after MSN Groups is closed. The Spaces site referenced in the email is restricted access, however a SkyDrive folder on that site contains four documents that relate to Multiply:

(UPDATE: The links were working (making sure to be signed out of all Live IDs) this morning when I posted - so the docs were apparently taken down - didn't bother to grab the files, sorry)

Community Web Folder

MSN Groups Sample Re-Direct Page

Multiple Step-by-Step Migration Guide

Multiple Groups Features

Here’s the email from Claudia that was posted in the MSN Discussion public newsgroup:

Thanks to contact Technical Support Windows MSN Groups, are Claudia, and
with reference to your e-mail, you know that MSN Groups will be closed and
that is why you can have problems.
That message I sent personally it is true then I pray to you and your entire
community to read the information on closing MSN Groups which is located at:
(_http://msngroupsresourcecenter.spaces.live.com).
MSN Groups service to close on February 21 2009. Users can still be used
until that day, but will no longer have the ability to add additional storage
capacity to it.
There was a company with Multiply, a service of Media Group and sharing
online, to create a migration process that moves the service to MSN Groups
(Multiply), so in that way preserve the online community and the history of
the group MSN.
A new service, Windows Live groups, will be launched on November 17 2008.
Customers have 3 options to move his team to a new service:
1. Automatically move your MSN and its data set to Multiply. This option is
free and easy to use: Multiply move the contents of the MSN group and invited
members to return to join his group in this new position.
2. Start from scratch in another department. Customers can start from
scratch and create your group in a different service. However, we recommend
you leave your group will automatically move to Multiply. This will enable
the group to an easy transition, and users can continue to enjoy the
communities that have created.
3. Start from scratch on Windows Live group. To further expand our exchange
and communication services, Windows Live will launch this new service. It is
expected to launch Windows Live groups to the public on November 17, 2008.
Multiply site: _http://multiply.com/msngroupimport% 20% 20.
Thank you for using Windows MSN Groups.
Claudia
Support Windows MSN Groups.

Windows Live Wave 3: Groups - More than just a stand-alone service

Chris — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 04:24:00 GMT

When people have talked so far about Windows Live Groups, the premise has been that it will just be an upgrade to the existing MSN Groups, and something to compete with Facebook. User creates a group, group can then share files, create a blog, interact via online comments etc etc.

However this is somewhat short-sighted. Windows Live, is after all, about the interacting of service, and from what we’ve heard Groups is no exception. In order to fully appreciate where Microsoft is taking its social networking strategy, it helps to look at something that emerged a few years ago, the leaked MSN Wave 11 mockups. While most of what was shown has since been implemented, there is one critical piece that underpins the social networking scenario Microsoft envisioned – Circles.

Circles was an idea about how users could interact with a core group of friends, family, or other acquaintances. To share information with them, to stay in touch with their updates. In fact if Microsoft had launched Circles when it first emerged in public, Facebook et al could have been the ones playing catchup now. As it turned out, Microsoft never got around to launching Circles, until its reincarnation in Windows Live Wave 3, as part of Groups.

So what makes up Groups? Here’s how we see it shaping up:

Groups on Spaces: This is the area that has been talked about already, offering users a shared space on the Windows Live Group service. Key here is the “What’s New Feed” allowing all members of the group to see the updates and changes taking place.

Groups in Messenger: Here is perhaps where Groups will have the most immediate impact. Groups of Messenger contacts, able to keep in contact with one another through Group IM, and exposing access to features offered through other services; What’s New, new photos, shared files, the list goes on. (Wave 11 mockup)

Groups on Skydrive: The logical choice when it comes to sharing files with your friends. This was one of the main components of the Circles mockups, and given the launch of Mesh, it will be interesting to see how much gets implemented in Skydrive.

What makes Groups such an interesting proposition is the benefits offered by Windows Live ID; granular permissions and single sign-on: allowing users to seamlessly switch between identities. Then there are the obvious benefits of using Groups in services such as Calendar and Favorites. Perhaps the most interesting implementations could be via Groups APIs, integrating some of these features into Facebook and other social networks. With the Windows Live Developer platform really starting to take hold, Microsoft needs to use this to kick-start its late entrance to the social networking party.

Update: First sighting of Groups in Messenger has been made.

A new logo for Windows Live Groups?

damaster — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 13:00:00 GMT

A few days ago we found the logo for Live Mesh, today our friends over at LiveSino found a new logo for the long-delayed Windows Live Groups. Here's what it looks like:

It seems like Microsoft has changed the logo since the last time Live Search cached the internal page back in October 2007. For those of you who don't remember, the page looked like this:

Additionally the subdomain http://group.live.com is now active and redirects to http://home.services.spaces.live.com/groups, but currently the page is just the same as the usual Windows Live Spaces homepage. Seems like the launch of Windows Live Groups will be coming real soon.

Getting ready for Windows Live Wave 3

Chris — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 04:03:01 GMT

With Wave 2 now well behind us, the focus of our writing is now moving onto the next set of Windows Live products - Wave 3. Kip has already talked about how Windows 7 will see a number of programs being removed from the core operating system, notably Photo Gallery, Mail and Movie Maker.

Only the last of these is not yet available as part of the Windows Live Suite, but that should change in the near future as Microsoft readies Windows Live Movie Maker (Codename Sundance). We certainly expect to see upgrades to most if not all of the other Windows Live products currently included in the Suite, as well as the much-rumoured Windows Live Groups. We've even heard that Favourites may be on the receiving end too :)

Then there has been the talk this week of the new Microsoft Value Box (Codename Albany), that makes Microsoft's current software + services approach available to home users from off-the-shelf. Office and Office Live Workspaces will combine with Windows Live OneCare 2.5, though the Windows Live Suite is also rumoured to be making an appearance as a bunclled program too. The only potential downside to this being included is the seemingly inevitable conclusion that Microsoft is going to start charging users for the Windows Live services they currently get for free (which they won't). Lets hope the PR champions are ready to take this challenge on.

And then there is the service that underpins all of the above, Windows Live ID. This appears due for an upgrade to v5.5 in the near future, with the new Delegated Authentication website already using the new version. WL ID has made great improvements in the last few releases, notably with Linked Live IDs and the new developer SDKs - it'll be good to see what else they have up their sleeves.

(To recap, consent.live.com allows users to manage the websites that have access to their information and contacts, and if they so wish, to remove this access. This is particularly relevant in light of the Microsoft + social networks sharing contact information announcement this week.)