Users can now export their Windows Live contacts to popular social-networking websites like Facebook, Bebo, Hi5 and LinkedIn. The company plans to add compatibility with more social-networking sites in the future.
Windows Live is a suite of programs that offer Windows users an array of options to organize their contacts, their social life and their news. The mini-applications include a calendar and a news aggregator, and Windows Live users can network with friends on the company's main social-networking portal, Windows Live Spaces.
In related news, Microsoft is launching a site that will let users import their social-networking contacts into Windows Live: Invite2Messenger.com. As of now, it's only compatible with Facebook.
Online guru Brandon Shalton told XBIZ he doubted that this announcement would greatly affect the adult industry.
"There are programs already out there to export contacts from Hotmail, as well as email programs to load up the user's address book to a social sharing site," said Shalton, who founded the traffic analysis service T3Report.com.
Shalton suggested that Microsoft was going to the trouble to introduce these new services to give lay users an alternative to the third-party programs that do the same job.
"Some users may not have found those third-party applications, so with Microsoft offering these new services, it makes it easier for those using Hotmail or Live instant messenger to export their addresses or contacts."