Tag Archives: Live.com

Google and Microsoft are constantly competing for the online office suit applications market. Google already has the ability for users to create documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. Google also has a calendar feature. However it is not directly embedded within GMail. Windows Live Calendar is built into Hotmail in a similar fashion as Microsoft Outlook’s calendar feature:

When a user double-clicks on a time slot, an event set-up form will be loaded. The user fills in the subject, location, Start time, End time, adds Notes, Categories (Anniversary, Birthday, Business, Get-Together, Gift, Holiday, Meeting, Personal, and Shopping), and Show Time As (Free, Busy, Tentative, or Out of Office). Recurring events can be set-up. And reminders can be sent to anyone’s e-mail address of via MSN Alerts.

Pros:
* Users can stay more organized and manage time better at home
* Calendars can be shared
* Tasks can be created with deadlines, completion, and

Cons:
* Cannot sync with personal and work Outlook
* Giving more of a work feel to personal e-mail could be a turn-off. It may feel like you’re bring the office home.
* People may use Microsoft Outlook less

Regardless of the cons, I think its still a useful tool that can be utilized to the benefit of the end-user.

“Microsoft is building on several years of innovation in imagery and 3-D visualization, adding some of the most significant innovations to driving directions technology in the last several years and expanding how our current 185 million customers can experience the improvements to the core of Live Search to include access from a wider variety of clients, platforms and devices.”
-Satya Nadella, corporate VP of the Search & the Advertising Platform Group at Microsoft Corporation.

Microsoft officially launched Live Search 411. Users can access Live Search 411 for free by calling (800)CALL-411 or (800-225-5411). Anyone dialing this number in the U.S. can use the number to connect to local businesses, retrieve local information, check movie showtimes, hear traffic updates, and listen to weather forecasts.

This technology was developed through the use of Tellme Networks Inc. technology, a company that Microsoft acquired in March 2007. Live Search 411 seems to be Microsoft’s response to GOOG 411, a similar service developed by Google Inc.

“Microsoft is building on several years of innovation in imagery and 3-D visualization, adding some of the most significant innovations to driving directions technology in the last several years and expanding how our current 185 million customers can experience the improvements to the core of Live Search to include access from a wider variety of clients, platforms and devices,” stated Satya Nadella, corporate VP of the Search & the Advertising Platform Group at Microsoft Corporation. “Collectively, these improvements build on the work we did in core relevance and differentiated vertical experiences, and are an important milestone in our efforts in delivering a comprehensive, innovative search offering that includes mobile, mapping, Web and local services for customers to find what they need, when they need it, on any device.”

Information Source:
[1] Press Release: Microsoft Releases New Search Services for Internet and Mobile Customers