Windows Live ID SDK makes its first public appearance
Microsoft has been fleshing out the Windows Live development platform for almost a year now. One nagging piece has been missing, until this week, that is, was the Windows Live ID software development kit (SDK).
Microsoft quietly posted to the Connect download site an alpha release of the Live ID SDK on February 1, as reported on the LiveSide.Net site.
Windows Live ID, a unified-log-in service, is the successor to Microsoft Passport. Microsoft originally planned to release the Live ID SDK last year.
In addition to the Live ID SDK, the family of Windows Live SDKs now available to Microsoft and third-party developers include the following: Custom domains, gadgts, search, Virtual Earth, Expo, Messenger, and Spaces.
The entity that Microsoft describes as THE Windows Live SDK encompasses all of these SDKs, plus application programming interfaces (APIs) for Microsoft adCenter, Live Search Web service, Live Messenger Add-in, Live Spaces Metaweblog, Live Writer SDK, among others.
Confused? Yeah. It's not just in the MSN vs. Live nomenclature department that the Live team needs some serious branding help. Bottom line, however, is Microsoft is making headway in creating a full-fledged Live platform for its developers.