Xbox Live has been such a big success that Microsoft has decided to launch two more online services: Windows Live and Office Live. Both were announced last week, but somewhat prematurely: the software for Windows Live is far from finished, and Office Live won't even open for testing until next year.
Windows Live (www.live.com) is a personalised search front page of the sort offered by Google and Yahoo. It can show your email, news and weather via RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds. It also holds "gadgets" such as the ones that will be available on the sidebar in Windows Vista - or on the Windows desktop now, with Yahoo's Konfabulator.
Windows Live will also house a new version of MSN Messenger, called Windows Live Messenger. This will share an address book with the next-generation replacement for Hotmail, which is now being tested under the codename Kahuna. Other features will include a Safety Center, where users can get their PCs scanned and have viruses removed, and Windows OneCare, a paid-for service that includes antivirus, firewall, PC maintenance and backup capabilities.
The Windows Live site will focus for active online services. The old MSN (Microsoft Network) site will continue, but with a focus on online publishing.
It is less clear what the Office Live site will offer. Microsoft says it is designed to help businesses with fewer than 10 employees "establish an online presence, automate key internal and external business tasks, and collaborate with employees, partners and customers". The "online presence" includes a domain name, a website with 30MB of storage and five web-based mail accounts - all free. Office Live is expected to host software for tasks like customer relationship management (CRM), which a very small business probably could not otherwise afford.
Again, Microsoft already offers web services for small businesses through its bCentral sites. It will be surprising if Office Live isn't bCentral by other means.
This is the same stuff Microsoft has done - and sold advertising against - since the last century. We can only hope it will do it better.
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