Beta version of Office 2007 identifies hot spots worldwide
Microsoft has issued beta test software for a Wi-Fi management utility called Windows Live Connection Center WiFi to a limited group of Office 2007 beta testers.
According to the Techlog.org blog, Microsoft has invited a small number of Office 2007 Beta 2 testers to preview a forthcoming service called “Windows Live Connection Center Wi-Fi Beta,” yet another addition to the burgeoning list of the services Microsoft dubs "Windows Live," is expected to be available to business users by the end of the year, and consumers in early 2007.
Microsoft confirmed through its public relations firm today that Windows Live WiFi Center is now available in a “limited, managed beta.”
The new software-slash-service can automatically sniff out in-range “hotspots” and then link the computer to the Wi-Fi connection, as well as locate available access points using a Web site. The service also integrates with Windows Live Local to map the location of any hotspot and provide driving directions to it.
The service also provides users with encrypted connections for secure and non-secure wireless network connectivity.
Key Features
Key features of Windows Live WiFi Center include a network locator, which allows users to search for free and fee-based wireless networks all over the world, and network management, which lets users see what networks are around them and get information about the networks, including the network address, description, available amenities, service providers, and signal strength.
Customers of the service also can label networks as "favorites" for future connections, track connection history and manage network preferences.
In addition, the Windows Live WiFi beta provides built-in security via a virtual private network (VPN), which lets users secure a connection on unsecured wireless networks, and to encrypt communications between notebook and wireless access point, Microsoft said.
Public hotspots do not enable security — to do so would lock out users — making Wi-Fi at locales such as airports and coffee shops risky. The integrated VPN would block attackers and identity thieves from capturing in-the-clear wireless traffic that might include credit account information or enterprise network log-in credentials.
The added security features, which will be very popular with IT administrators who struggle with balancing ease of access with the need for security when managing mobile employees.
Wi-Fi Locator
Microsoft also plans to launch the Windows Live WiFi Hotspot Locator Web site. The site helps people find wireless hotspots and is accessible through any PC.
Windows Live got a lot of attention when it was first launched, but critics have become increasingly skeptical of whether Microsoft can use the services to drive advertising revenue and keep up with competitors Google and Yahoo.
They also are waiting to see when sales made through the company’s adCenter paid-search advertising platform–which the ‘Live’ services are supposed to support–will pick up steam. Microsoft launched adCenter in the U.S. in May, but it has yet to contribute to the overall financial health of the company’s MSN division, where the platform resides.
Since Microsoft launched its Windows Live services in November, it has amassed a portfolio of Web-based services, some of which were previously part of its MSN portfolio, and some of which are new. More information about Windows Live can be found here.
Office 2007, currently in Beta 2, is now scheduled to ship to most customers in what Microsoft’s pegged as "early" 2007. The beta of Windows Live Connection Center Wi-Fi is scheduled to run through that same time frame.
Microsoft was not immediately available for comment or confirmation on the news of Windows Live Connection Center Wi-Fi.