Microsoft's Skype killer unveiled

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Lachlan Grant21 June 2006, 9:52 AM

Windows Live Messenger 8 is out, and it's clear that Microsoft has Skype firmly in its sights. The MSN Messenger successor has a big focus on PC-to-landline and PC-to-PC calling along with a batch of other interesting features.


livemessenger100.jpgMicrosoft has released Windows Live Messenger 8, the instant messenger that will ship with Windows and has the potential to smash Skype's dominance in the consumer VoIP market.

The news was announced in a Microsoft staffer blog.

Live Messenger 8 includes P2P file sharing, VoIP-to-landline as well as VoIP-to-VoIP calling, a Vista look-and-feel GUI and the ability to chat with Yahoo Messenger users.

livemessengervoip1.jpg
It is the first messenger to be released as part of the Windows Live family which will include Windows Live Search (desktop search), Windows Live Mail Desktop (mail client) and Windows Live toolbar.

New additions to the instant messaging client include:

  • the ability to add Yahoo! Messenger contacts
  • integration with Microsoft LifeCams
  • Windows Live Call (VoIP via Verizon)
  • Live Messenger Phones
  • Windows Live Contacts (unified Messenger & Hotmail contacts)
  • video calling
  • Shared file folders
  • Offline instant messaging.

Probably the most notable new feature, besides the Vista-esque look and feel, is its ability to make PC-to-PC calls and PC-to-landline calls (for a fee).

livemessengervoip2.jpg

However it doesn't yet work the networking magic that Skype does -- we couldn’t Windows Live Call working on the corporate network here at APC (despite vigorous fist waving in the direction of the corporate network sysadmins), but we did have a lot of fun yelling into microphones trying to get it to work.

The new release also features video calling using technology provided by computer peripheral giant, Logitech.

Microsoft has developed and released their own range of webcams to work alongside Windows Live, dubbed their LifeCam series. (Microsoft says you don't have to use these webcams with Live Messenger and that they should work with other windows software, but refused to discuss the video compression standard, etc, used by the cameras.)

Related links

Windows Live Messenger 8


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Bruce:

I've been using Windows Live Messenger since its first beta came out...amazing piece of software I must say...the guys at http://messengersays.spaces.msn.com/ have done a great job!

29 February 2008, 8:28 PM (2 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Ben:

Why so much features if the protocol sucks? (It has no encryption on board)

29 February 2008, 8:28 PM (2 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Pirate:

Lachlan Grant is dreamy. *sigh*

29 February 2008, 8:28 PM (2 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

baudman:

[cough, cough] Mac version? [cough]

29 February 2008, 8:28 PM (2 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Sheeva Lazar:

So! Corporately, we've been using IBM's Lotus Sametime et al and it's newest release is next month. It has all plus more than what MS Live has. Being an open standards developed product, on the Eclipse platform, we have Skye capability plus we can also chat with Yahoo, AIM, AOL and Google Chat - MS won't/can't. Sametime has click to talk as well as real time presence awareness and for example, being open source, a web service to any mapping product such as Google maps can actually pin point who you're communicating with. Yes MS Live looks good but just too late to the gate corporately. Home use may get the bigger boost but then a simple free plug in for Sametime/NOTES allows me to put in on a USB to take home without any additional footprint or licensing. I could go on but I've made my point. MS is okay for the MS surroundings but teh global market is far more than MS.

29 February 2008, 8:28 PM (2 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Akash Mehta:

Seeing as I... [cough] _obtained_ [/cough] the beta before it was actually out, I'm glad to say I've nothing to be impressed about. Despite the fact that visually its impressive, it feels like a step back in time in terms of functionality.

29 February 2008, 8:28 PM (2 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

richard rossi:

I know that skype is very favoured & microsoft is simply trying to emulate.But they all charge the consumer to either make calls for a small fee.Has anyone got any software that allows you to call for free over the internet ie with no network fees
over the internet ie pc to phone calls.If there were such software people could literally make free calls to anywhere!
richard

29 February 2008, 8:28 PM (2 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Bob Heath:

Go rrrrrrrric rrrrossi! Free phone calls anytime,anywhere,anyhow,what a great thought!can somebody out there invent this software? PPPPPPlease!Bob.

29 February 2008, 8:29 PM (2 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Anonymous:

i dunno why im keeps rehashing the same stuff...i think it's about time a new kind of revolution hits ims...imvu is an example..still a ltitle crap in its graphics and i hate those bubbles..but it's beginnign to herald in a new era of messenger...wat about if cyworld fused with imvu? that would be cool...i discovered a new im coming out soon...the moji intelligent messenger..if it does wat it says it can do i think it will be pretty damn cool man

29 February 2008, 8:29 PM (2 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

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