The Great Live Land Rush
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Are you tired of being billybob27391046@hotmail.com? Microsoft might just have a spiffier online identity for you. |
Microsoft's Web services relaunch also opens up the @live.com domain for ID registration. Given the shortage of good handles available on popular service domains, @live.com is sure to set off a torrent of registrations.
Earlier today I joked with Brian Hall, general manager of the Windows Live business group, about a land rush that could bring down parts of the Internet. He chuckled. Microsoft has more than 400 million active Windows Live IDs, with the @hotmail.com and @msn.com domains leading candidates for switch to @live.com. Three-quarters of the Live IDs are @hotmail.com.
"Now you have a whole new domain space where you can go get just the name that you want—if you can get in there quickly enough," Hall said.
That "quickly" could put loads of pressure on the Windows Live ID infrastructure. Will it hold up? I'll be watching for the eBay aftermarket for good @live.com IDs, regardless of Microsoft's terms of service. There's no reason to assume someone won't squat good Live IDs. :(
Microsoft announced its intention to make @live.com available during the Windows Live launch two years ago.
"We've been waiting for the right time to make it available, and we think this launch is a great way to do it," Hall said.
Maybe, but Microsoft made folks wait long enough.
People with existing Windows Live IDs can continue using them. Microsoft has no plans to do away with @hotmail.com. While @live.com will be default for new Hotmail accounts, @hotmail.com will remain an option. For the millions of small businesses using Hotmail—which is about half the 300 million Hotmail users—their existing handles will be essential for conducting business. But it's probably a good idea to stake out that @live.com counterpart before someone else snaps it up. Go here. The @live IDs will be available with country-appropriate domain suffixes, in addition to .com.
I switched to an @live.com ID last night—and with great angst. I've had my @msn ID, with just three initials before it, since May 1995. So, this is a big change for me. Unfortunately, Microsoft provides no quick means for migrating to a new ID from an older one.
Microsoft recommends the TrueSwitch service as an option. I chose instead to link my several Windows IDs together and then take the more manual approach of exporting my IM buddies from one Live Messenger account to another. The linking process consolidates e-mail from the different Hotmail accounts.
My prediction: The big news of the day—the Live services change that will have the most impact on people—will be the opening up of the @live.com domain. Who do you want to be @live.com? I wanted to be im@live.com or iam@live.com. Both were taken.
Related Posts:
- Live 2.0: It's About Windows, Not Google, Microsoft Watch, Nov. 6, 2007
- Blodget Bludgeons Windows Live to Death, Microsoft Watch, Oct. 8, 2007
- Microsoft Searches for Signs of Live, Microsoft Watch, Sept. 27, 2007
- Search: What Microsoft Should Do Next, Microsoft Watch, Sept. 24, 2007
- Live Hotmail: Teen Sensation, Microsoft Watch, Sept. 20, 2007
- Is Microsoft's Head Really in the Clouds?, Microsoft Watch, July 26, 2007
- Is Windows Live a Killer?, Microsoft Watch, July 26, 2007
- Microsoft Clubs Its Way to Search Gains, Microsoft Watch, July 16, 2007
- Which Comes First, Software or Services?, Microsoft Watch, July 9, 2007
- When Is 'Open' More Open for Microsoft?, Microsoft Watch, May 17, 2007
- Hot or Live, It's No Longer Beta, Microsoft Watch, May 7, 2007
- The Google Quandary, Microsoft Watch, April 24, 2007
- Who Pays for Software Plus Services?, Microsoft Watch, March 15, 2007
- Wanted: Dead or Live, Microsoft Watch, March 2, 2007
- Why Google Matters to Microsoft, Microsoft Watch, Feb. 22, 2007
- Microsoft Seeks More Mobile Relevance, Microsoft Watch, Feb. 12, 2007
- Sorry, but Live Isn't Dead, Microsoft Watch, Dec. 12, 2006
- It's a Shame About Ray, Microsoft Watch, Dec. 6, 2006
Comments (9)
Just got one. And the squatters are out there. Try things like deadora@live things like that. I wonder if that is on eBay already.
One nice thing I'm looking at is the ability to link existing @hotmail and @msn accounts to the one @live account. I'm hoping MS thought that thru and allows logging on once to get to all data with out having to logon/logoff.
Posted by anonimo | November 6, 2007 6:47 PM
Newsflash: pretty much anyname@anydomain.com is spiffier that @hotmail.com When someone tells me that their email address is someone@hotmail.com, I instantly know that I am dealing with a clueless (and cheap) computer user. Am I a snob? Maybe.
Posted by Mo Funky | November 6, 2007 9:54 PM
I have been on the new domain for a good while now. I am hardly using it simply because the majority of my friends know me on hotmail.
Posted by Andre Da Costa | November 6, 2007 11:06 PM
This should definetely be added to the bottom of the timeline-
(or is it a time"bomb"? tic, tic, tic)
Fired on November 2nd, same day as VCSY/MS hearing in East Texas...Wonder when Ballmer will join Stuart Scott?
REDMOND, Wash. - Microsoft Corp. has fired its chief information officer, saying he violated company policies, but a spokesman declined to give the exact reason for the dismissal.
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"Stuart Scott's employment with Microsoft was terminated after an investigation for violation of company policies," said Microsoft spokesman Lou Gellos, reading from a company statement Tuesday.
Gellos said Scott was dismissed Friday. He would not elaborate further.
According to Microsoft's Web site,Scott was responsible for the information technology infrastructure at the world's largest software maker. He reported to Kevin Turner, Microsoft's chief operating officer, who in turn reports directly to Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer.
Scott joined Microsoft in 2005, after 17 years at General Electric Co., according to Microsoft.
Gellos said Alain Crozier, a corporate vice president who also reports to Turner, and Shahla Aly, a general manager in the services group, will take over his duties until a replacement is found.
Timeline:
http://ajaxamine.tripod.com/index.blog/1682851/but-the-norton-said-i-was-over-rhineshticken/
March 7, 2000 VCSY?acquired Emily Solutions
March 29, 2000 arsDigita Secures $35 Million via General Atlantic and Greylock
August 3, 2000 VCSY? beta release of two of its MLE (Markup Language Executive ?Emily?) Solutions Suite products: the XML Catalog Enabler Agent and the XML Database Agent.
September 6, 2000 launch of an educational and informational Web site devoted to in-depth explanations of the company's XML-based software solutions.
December 27, 2000 iNetPurchasing.com (iNPI) officially unveiled details of its strategic alliance and joint ventures with Vertical Computer Systems (VCSY) to use, market and sell VCSY's Emily? XML technology for the B2G and B2B markets.
........
January 31, 2001 joint venture between iNet Government Services LLC (iNet) and Apollo Industries, Inc. ("Apollo") to form a separate LLC under the name "SmarteGov." Jerome Svigals, Director of MIS at Apollo and SmarteGov?generally regarded as the 'father of the magnetic stripe card.?
February 12, 2001 VCSY/Emily Solutions selected by IBM to be one of 40 companies now featured as innovation leaders on IBM?s new showcase Web site
February 20, 2001 Emily? XML Enabler Agent is available for public purchase and download
March 13, 2001 Vertical Computer Systems, Inc. (OTCBB:VCSY), a provider of Web commerce solutions, today announced that through Now Solutions, LLC, it has acquired a 60% majority interest in the Renaissance CS? Human Resources and Payroll (?HRIS/PAYROLL?) product division from Ross Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: ROSS).
March 19, 2001 Microsoft releases Hailstorm
March 20, 2001 World Bank funds developmentgateway.org
(developmentgateway.org developed using arsDigita Community System software work)
September 5, 2001 acquisition of one hundred percent (100%) of Texas-based EnFacet, Inc., ? "EnFacet?s innovations provide a strong synergy with our Emily enhancements"
November 1, 2001 VCSY?appointment of Stephen O. Rossetti to head the Company?s (Vertical Computers) new Government Affairs division to be headquartered in Washington D.C.
??2001 At some point during 2001 (bave, can you give the particulars re past email? - if you can dig them out and sanitize the name) iNet hosted the development of software to service a cluster computer
See comment to this post below. Thanks bave.
........
January 3, 2002 -- Vertical Computer Systems, Inc. (OTCBB: VCSY) announced today that it has acquired an option to ? interest in iNetPurchasing, Inc. "iNet?current strong working relationship between VCSY and iNet ? facilitated the testing and deployment of EmilyTM? throughout Texas, Maine, and Idaho"
February 4, 2002 arsDigita acquired by Red Hat Linux
February 21, 2002 ?contracted for the sale and installation of its ResponseFlash? software to enhance emergency response communications for Marion County, Indiana, including Indianapolis, the state?s largest city?MECA (Metropolitan Emergency Communications Agency} serves the City of Indianapolis and Marion County, Indiana ? wide variety of communications equipment, including more than 1,800 mobile devices, 8,000 handheld radios, 3,000 mobile radios and 5,000 pagers. MECA director Linn Piper is also chairperson of Motorola's Mobile Data Users Group (MDUG).
April 11, 2002 Microsoft pulls plug on Hailstorm
August 14, 2002 Grand River Hospital has selected NOW Solutions as their HRIS provider of choice?powerful capabilities and features of emPath?
September 18, 2002 licensing of emPath(TM) to Betty Ford Center
(Emily checks into rehab)
October 2, 2002 NOW Solutions?Northern Health Authority in Canada
November 25, 2002 NOW Solutions?upgrade and licensing of emPath? to Cerebral Palsy Associations of New York State
November 27, 2002 NOW Solutions?upgrade and licensing of emPath(TM) to a large municipal(unnamed in release) government in New Mexico
........
July 6, 2003 ProgrammersHeaven started
July 18, 2003 AOL Time-Warner / Chinadotcom split up
........
August 18, 2004 VCSY SiteFlash Patent allowance
(date approximated by subtracting example 104 day span on Enabler patent allowance/granted cycle)
[see March 28, 2006]
August 27, 2004 Longhorn rewrite announced. Winfs out of Longhorn.
November 9, 2004 Recy43 Raging Bull VCSy posts truncated.
November 11, 2004 Ballmer throws chair during meeting with Mark Lucovsky on news he is leaving MSFT to join Google
November 18, 2004 Ballmer accuses Linux of violating >258 patents
November 30, 2004 VCSY SiteFlash Patent granted
December 13, 2004 SavaJe wins LG mobile OS gig
(SavaJe 26% owned by Vodafone, Orange and T-Mobile - ring ring)
December 15, 2004 Bill Gates joins board of Berkshire Hathaway
........
........
February 18, 2005 'AJAX' coined to describe web development centered around activity of Microsoft developed XMLhttpRequest
........
March 21, 2006 Vista delayed
March 24, 2006 Vista rewrite rumor surfaces (Scoble denies rumor)
March 24, 2006 Microsoft virtualization to be in Apple Leopard
March 26, 2006 VCSY receives allowance for US 7,076,521
........
May 08, 2006 Yahoo makes Panama ad center public
May 17, 2006 Sun blesses JAVA phone with SavaJe
(SavaJe spinoff of Lucent 1999)
June 10, 2006 Scoble abandons ship
(Microsoft can't deny rumor)
June 16, 2006 Sun's Tim Bray blog on SavaJe
June 23, 2006 WinFS dead
June 26, 2006 Gates/Buffet bonding
........
July 11, 2006 VCSY US 7,076,521 granted
(See allowance granted March 26 2006)
July 18, 2006 Yahoo Panama ad center delayed
July 19, 2006 Microsoft ad center delayed
(More like hit the pause button 7/14 - 7/19 - technical?)
.........
October 17, 2006 Yahoo Panama launched for internal use
(90 days after June 19, 2006)
October 17, 2006 SavaJe goes dark unexpectedly
(micro-kernel OS for JAVA - see May 17 2006)
November 3, 2006 Ballmer invites Patent talks with Linux vendors
........
January 4, 2007 Google's Mark Lucovsky (previously Microsoft November 2004) interviewed
January 28, 2007 James Gray disappeared
[expert in distributed transactional processes]
February 1, 2007 Yahoo Panama launched for public use
February 7, 2007 VCSY sends Microsoft cease and desist on US 6,826,744
[patent granted November 30, 2004]
February 19, 2007 Interview with Google's Mark Lucovsky published
February 20, 2007 Ballmer repeats threats against Linux on patents
........
March 14, 2007 VCSY acquires exclusive rights for StatePointPlus in Government and Healthcare in the United States and Canada
March 23, 2007 Apple Leopard delay rumor surfaces
[reason: virtualization] [non-Apple sources deny]
........
April 12, 2007 Apple Leopard delay to October announced
[Apple admits]
April 12, 2007 Microsoft Viridian delay to October announced
[virtualization]
April 13, 2007 Sun buys SavaJe IP
(which went dark in unexplained circumstances last year see Oct 17 2006)
April 18, 2007 VCSY sued Microsoft for infringement on US 6,826,744
April 25, 2007 ProgrammersHeaven VCSY A Laughing Place (#1) shut down
April 27, 2007 CEO AT&T (T) announced retirement
April 27, 2007 CEO Orange announced retirement
April 29, 2007 Microsoft announced Data Entity cut from Orcas
April 30, 2007 IBM retires much legacy Websphere Global
........
May 04, 2007 Microsoft + Yahoo formal talks fuzzle
May 10, 2007 Apple to release Leopard on original date June
May 10, 2007 Microsoft cuts key elements from Viridian
May 13, 2007 Ballmer accuses Linux of violating 258 patents
May 14, 2007 Estimated beginning of 60 day extension requested by Microsoft for negotiations re: VCSY v MSFT patent suit
May 18, 2007 CDC/Ross Software CEO Yip reassigned to CEO Musser
Posted by I-Man | November 7, 2007 12:06 AM
My Gmail address and ID work fine for me. And it's linked to other servcies such as Multiply. I wouldn't waste my time with Live.com.
What if I need something else? Well, I have my own domain, and it's a name I chose. And I can add e-mail addresses, subdomains, and other associated IDs to it. Now *that's* spiffy.
Posted by Maddog | November 7, 2007 3:40 AM
MS also offering CoolHotmail.com frm Indian users only..& I hve 1 myname@delhirocks.in..
Its really a good..& new feature microsoft is providing ..
User can choose it fav domain name frm the list of more than 40...
Is it Cool..
Posted by Nikhil | November 7, 2007 9:09 AM
Re: CIO Scott was fired November 2...
http://messages.finance.yahoo.com/Stocks_%28A_to_Z%29/Stocks_M/threadview?m=tm&bn=12004&tid=1312863&mid=1312960&tof=13&rt=1&frt=2&off=1
Posted by I-Man | November 7, 2007 11:00 AM
Microsoft Shareholders are getting jacked pretty good(By Portuno)
... aren't you? Look at that shareprice and let's hear all the pumpers tell the readers how "40" is just around the corner. How will that happen?
Your CIO gets fired... on the same day a discovery ruling was made in the VCSY v MSFT case. Funny. Very funny.
What's rather curious about Scott's tenure is that he started on the Microsoft payroll July 2005. But, oddly, Redmond put out a news article saying Scott was going to share CIO responsibilities with Ron Markezich December 5, 2005.
There's another coincidence with VCSY for that date. The next day VCSY returned to the OTCBB after being pulled into an SEC investigation December 1, 2004 - the day after VCSY was granted the patent 6826744.
What's so coincidental about December 5-6, 2005? On the same day VCSY returned to the OTCBB after being cleared by the SEC investigation, CDC/Ross (chinadotcom) fired its CEO Patrick Tinley who had been appointed CEO only three months earlier.
While these standing by themselves seem to be unrelated, a surprising number of other event and date "coincidences" show a relationship between Microsoft actions, VCSY actions and CDC actions.
This particular firing of the MSFT CIO falls at a very convenient time for Microsoft as the discovery phase of Microsoft's technology history back to November 2004 is under way and Mister Scott would be an integral part of that discovery... were he available during the meetings leading up to November 2, 2007. But, since he was on "emergency family leave" (while remaining in his office during that time) most likely "others" would have had to answer questions during the pre-discovery sessions. Now that discovery begins, well, how about that, Mister Scott no longer works for Microsoft so... I guess he won't be available for questions then.
I don't think so. I don't think so at all.
Posted by I-Man | November 7, 2007 11:14 AM
A long time ago, I started to sign up for a hotmail/msn free email account. The questions that Microsoft asked, and the amount of detail they wanted to know about their users was, well, just far too much for me to allow. As far as the government becoming Big Brother, I thought we might get their someday, but the truth is, we are already there in the corporate sense, and Big Brothers name is Microsoft.
Posted by chips | November 8, 2007 2:00 AM