Redmond, Washington — Redmond, Wash.-based software giant Microsoft on Tuesday updated its Windows Live Essentials beta with improvements by integrating Facebook chat with MSN Messenger, empowering users to send instant messages to Facebook friends who are logged into the social-networking service.
The move is part of an attempt by the folks in Redmond to develop Messenger from solely an instant-messaging application to a social hub with activity feeds, video chat, and other connection options.
Windows Live Messenger is the most popular IM service in the world, according to Chris Jones, vice president for Windows Live engineering, and the Messenger chat application has over three million users.
Windows Live Essentials is a compendium of tools available free of charge from Microsoft, many of which have a strong focus on the internet, sharing and social networking.
“Many of you have been requesting for Facebook chat, and it is finally here,” said Microsoft’s Jones in a blog.
“More than half of all Messenger customers also use Facebook. With the new Facebook chat integration, you now also have one place to chat with all your friends.”
In the updated test version of Windows Live Messenger, people can send instant messages to those logged into Facebook Chat. (Credit: Microsoft)
“Now Messenger is not only always on but you can have a much richer experience,” said Dharmesh Mehta, director of Windows Live product management. “I can get social updates [all the time] rather than having to have a browser up.”
This early integration has helped Microsoft shape the updates, and Jones added in a blog post that Photo Gallery, Movie Maker, Writer, Mail and Family Safety had all seen refreshes.
The Messenger sign-in systems have been speeded up, while Messenger video chats now use 30 per cent less CPU resources by offloading much of the burden onto the GPU.
Here is where you can download the beta version of Messenger with the Facebook feature.
Mehta says a couple million people have downloaded the Messenger beta for the PC. Microsoft has also built an iPhone app for Messenger, which has been downloaded 6 million times.
“The Windows experience can only be as great if you have a great photo and communications experience,” he said. “We are not stand alone, trying to build a profit center.”
The feature will be available in the U.S., U.K., France, Brazil, Germany and Russia. Microsoft says 200 million Facebook users are also Messenger users.