Microsoft opens up Live Mesh to more testers
If you were closed out of Microsoft's Live Mesh preview for lack of an invite, you now can get in you're now more likely to get in.
Microsoft has opened up availability of its Live Mesh Software + Service sync/collaboration platform to any more U.S.-based testers with a Windows Live ID. (Those outside the U.S. also can get access to the test build as long as they have a Live ID and are willing to change their Windows operating system region and language setting to EN-US.)
Update: Looks like Microsof changed its mind. LiveSide has a copy of the original Microsoft Forum wording on its site, claiming that
"Live Mesh is now openly available to anyone in the U.S.
The Live Mesh team is pleased to announce that anyone in the U.S. can now use Live Mesh just by signing in to www.mesh.com with a valid Windows Live ID. No sign up needed to participate!"
But when I checked back at 1 p.m. EST on July 16, Microsoft had changed its wording, narrowing the number of testers who will get access from "anyone" to "more." The new wording:
"Signing up for Live Mesh now!
The Live Mesh team is pleased to announce that we have simplified the signup process for our US customers. We are doubling the upper limit of our technology preview program. Our technology preview is still limited to ensure great performance and experience for our customers. You can now use Live Mesh just by signing in to www.mesh.com with a valid Windows Live ID. No waiting list at this time!"
Microsoft officials acknowledged the opening up of the Live Mesh preview via the Live Mesh Forum on July 15, as first reported by the LiveSide.Net site.
Microsoft announced its Live Mesh technology and strategy in April at the Web 2.0 conference. At that time, Microsoft said that it would make the preview release of Live Mesh available to 10,000 testers.
Microsoft is expected to unveil a full-fledged beta of Live Mesh later this year, and is expected to provide a Live Mesh software development kit (SDK) at the Professional Developers Conference (PDC) in late October.
Microsoft has been providing new features and functionality for Live Mesh as part of periodic updates to the product/service. Microsoft has said it will add support for Mac OSX clients to its Live Mesh scheme, but so far has yet to make this available to testers outside the company.