Microsoft prunes its Windows Live line-up
Last summer, there were more than 40 Microsoft services and sites branded as "Windows Live." As of April 13, there are now ten fewer, and some of the existing ones are now known officially as "Live," minus the "Windows."
Compare the two Feedback.Live.com lists posted by Microsoft blogger Ken Levy. (Levy just traded jobs, from Windows Live product planner to Visual Studio Ecosystem community program manager.) Here's the current Windows Live line-up:
Feedback Services
* Live Maps
* Live QnA
* Live Search
* Live.com
* Windows Live Account
* Windows Live Alerts
* Windows Live Call
* Windows Live Call for Free
* Windows Live Custom Domains
* Windows Live Dev
* Windows Live Expo
* Windows Live Favorites
* Windows Live Gallery
* Windows Live Hotmail
* Windows Live ID
* Windows Live Ideas
* Windows Live Mail desktop
* Windows Live Mail for mobile
* Windows Live Messenger
* Windows Live Messenger for mobile
* Windows Live Mobile
* Windows Live OneCare
* Windows Live OneCare Family Safety
* Windows Live OneCare Safety Scanner
* Windows Live Product Upload
* Windows Live Publishing Portal
* Windows Live Shopping
* Windows Live Spaces
* Windows Live Toolbar and Desktop Search
* Windows Live Web Search
* Windows Live Writer
Here's the comparable Windows Live list from last July:
Feedback Services
* Windows Live Academic Search
* Windows Live Book Search Windows Live Call Windows Live Call for Free
* Windows Live Custom Domains
* Windows Live Dev
* Windows Live Expo
* Windows Live Favorites
* Windows Live Feeds
* Windows Live Gallery
* Windows Live ID
* Windows Live Ideas
* Windows Live Image Search
* Windows Live Local
* Windows Live Mail
* Windows Live Mail Desktop
* Windows Live Messenger
* Windows Live Mobile
* Windows Live Mobile Mail
* Windows Live Mobile Search
* Windows Live Near Me Search
* Windows Live News Search
* Windows Live Newsbot
* Windows Live OneCare
* Windows Live Product Search
* Windows Live Publishing Portal
* Windows Live QnA
* Windows Live Safety Center
* Windows Live Search
* Windows Live Search Answers
* Windows Live Search Center
* Windows Live Search Help
* Windows Live Search Macros
* Windows Live Search Translation
* Windows Live Shopping
* Windows Live Spaces
* Windows Live Toolbar and Desktop Search
* Windows Live Web Search
* Windows Live Web Search SDK
* Windows Live Wifi Suite
* Windows Live.com
Several Windows Live services, such as Windows Live Academic Search, Windows Live Book search and Windows Live Search Translation, are no longer anywhere to be found on the Feedback list. But some of them still exist on the new Live Betas Web site. Other services -- specifically Live Maps Live QnA, Live Search and Live.com -- no longer sport "Windows" as part of their names. Neither of Levy's lists include services that are currently branded as MSN (some of which were formerly branded as "Windows Live," such as Windows Live WiFi).
What to make of these changes? Is Microsoft starting to get its Windows Live branding house in order? Is the company simply beginning a long overdue "Windows Live" purge, much like the quiet .Net naming purge conducted a few years back? Or is Microsoft actually starting to kill off actual services and not just ill-chosen names?