Microsoft Messenger Service Overview and History

Microsoft Messenger Service was first introduced in 1999 as an instant messaging service for Windows users. It was initially called MSN Messenger.

The service was designed to allow users to communicate with each other in real-time, using text, voice, and video. This was a major innovation at the time, as it enabled people to connect with others across the globe with ease.

In 2005, Microsoft rebranded MSN Messenger as Windows Live Messenger. This change reflected the company's shift towards a more integrated online service suite.

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The Microsoft Messenger service has a rich history that spans over two decades. It was initially known as MSN Messenger Service from 1999 to 2001.

Microsoft changed the name to .NET Messenger Service and began offering clients without the "MSN" name, such as the Windows Messenger client included with Windows XP. This was intended to be a streamlined version of MSN Messenger, free of advertisements and integrated into Windows.

The service continued to evolve, and in 2005, all previous versions of MSN Messenger and Windows Messenger were superseded by Windows Live Messenger. This marked a significant shift in the service's branding and functionality.

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Microsoft's Messenger service has undergone many name changes over the years, but it's still commonly referred to as MSN due to its history.

The service was initially known as MSN Messenger Service from 1999 to 2001, before being rebranded as .NET Messenger Service.

Microsoft continued to offer upgrades to MSN Messenger until 2005, when it was replaced by Windows Live Messenger as part of the company's Windows Live online services launch.

The official name for the service remained .NET Messenger Service on its network status web page, but Microsoft rarely used this name to promote it.

In the mid-2000s, Microsoft started referring to the service as the Windows Live Messenger Service in its support documentation.

The service can integrate with the Windows operating system, automatically signing in as the user logs into their Windows account.

Organizations can also integrate their Microsoft Office Communications Server and Active Directory with the service.

In 2012, Microsoft began referring to the service as simply Messenger as part of a larger effort to rebrand its Windows Live services.

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Windows Live 8.0 was released in 2005, marking the beginning of Microsoft's efforts to integrate its various online services into a single platform. It included Windows Live Messenger, which allowed users to communicate with friends and family.

The first version of Windows Live Messenger was launched as MSN Messenger 4.0 in 2001, and it was later rebranded as Windows Live Messenger in 2005. This change reflected the company's shift towards a more integrated online experience.

Windows Live 8.0 also introduced Windows Live Spaces, a social networking platform that allowed users to create their own personal websites. These sites could be customized with various templates and widgets, making them a popular choice for users who wanted to express themselves online.

Windows Live 8.0 was followed by Windows Live 8.1 in 2006, which added new features such as Windows Live Photo Gallery and Windows Live Writer. These tools allowed users to manage their digital photos and create blog posts with ease.

The next major update was Windows Live 8.5, released in 2009, which introduced Windows Live Movie Maker and Windows Live Mail. These applications provided users with a range of tools for creating and editing videos, as well as managing their email accounts.

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Windows Live Messenger offered a range of features beyond its basic instant messaging functionality. It allowed users to connect services like Facebook, MySpace, and LinkedIn using Windows Live Profile.

With this integration, users could display their contact's Messenger social updates within the "Full view" of Windows Live Messenger. This made it easy to stay up-to-date on friends' and family members' activities.

Users could also post status updates and photos directly to the connected services within Windows Live Messenger. This made it simple to share updates and photos with friends and family across multiple platforms.

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Microsoft offered a variety of official clients that connected to the Messenger service, allowing users to access its features.

Windows Live Messenger was available for users of Windows 7 and previous versions, making it a popular choice for many.

Microsoft also released a version of Messenger for Mac, specifically designed for users of Mac OS X.

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Outlook.com included web browser-based functionality for instant messaging, providing an alternative to the desktop client.

Windows 8 included a built-in Messaging client, making it easy for users to access the service without needing to download anything.

The Xbox Live platform also included access to the Messenger service from within the Xbox Dashboard, allowing gamers to stay in touch with friends while playing.

MSN TV, a device that allowed users to access the internet on their TV, had a built-in messaging client that was introduced via a software update in Summer 2000.

Here is a list of some of the other official clients that were available:

Windows Live Messenger for Nokia

Messenger Play! for Android

Windows Live Messenger for BlackBerry

Messenger on Windows Phone

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You can appear offline to specific individual contacts, making it easier to manage your online presence.

This feature is particularly useful for blocking unwanted messages or conversations, allowing you to still receive messages from those contacts while appearing offline to them.

In Windows Live Messenger 2011, you can choose to appear offline to entire categories of contacts, giving you more control over your online interactions.

This is a departure from previous versions of Windows Live Messenger, where blocking a contact would prevent them from sending you messages altogether.

You can connect services like Facebook, MySpace, and LinkedIn using Windows Live Profile, making it easy to share updates and photos across platforms.

Windows Live Messenger integrates with these connected services, allowing you to display your contacts' Messenger social updates in the "Full view" of the app.

With Windows Live Messenger, you can also post status updates and photos directly to connected services, making it a convenient way to share content.

Messenger imports all contacts from connected services, making it easy to stay in touch with friends and colleagues across different platforms.

Facebook Chat is also supported through XMPP protocol, enabling instant messaging with users on Facebook.

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In Windows 5.0, five properties of the IMessenger interface have been deprecated in favor of properties in the IMessengerService interface.

This change is significant for developers who have been using the IMessenger interface, as it affects how they interact with the interface.

The deprecation of these properties means that developers will need to update their code to use the new properties in the IMessengerService interface.

This change will likely require some adjustments on the part of developers, but it's a necessary step to ensure the long-term stability and security of Windows 5.0.

As a result of this update, developers will need to familiarize themselves with the new properties and how they work.

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The Microsoft Notification Protocol (MSNP) was used by Windows Live Messenger to connect to the Microsoft Messenger service, which operated on port 1863 of "messenger.hotmail.com". This protocol was not completely secret, but Microsoft only disclosed version 2 (MSNP2) to developers in 1999.

The lack of proper encryption in the MSNP made it easy to capture conversations and wiretap friend lists using packet sniffers like Wireshark, especially in unencrypted public Wi-Fi networks. This vulnerability was a significant concern.

Interoperability between Microsoft's Windows Live Messenger and Yahoo!'s messenger service was achieved in 2006, allowing users to communicate across the two networks.

Windows Live Messenger used the Microsoft Notification Protocol (MSNP) over TCP to connect to the Microsoft Messenger service, offered on port 1863 of "messenger.hotmail.com".

The protocol was disclosed to developers in 1999, with version 2 (MSNP2) released as an Internet Draft. However, versions 8 and higher were never released to the public.

Microsoft Messenger service servers currently only accept protocol versions from 8 and higher, making the syntax of new commands sent from these versions only known through packet sniffers like Wireshark.

The Microsoft Notification Protocol lacks proper encryption, making it easy to capture everything using packet sniffers.

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Interoperability is crucial for seamless communication across different platforms.

In 2005, Yahoo! and Microsoft announced plans to add interoperability between their messenger services, a move that was met with excitement from users who had been using third-party solutions like PowWow and Trillian to bridge the gap between different networks.

This interoperability allowed users to communicate across the two networks, supporting instant messaging, emoticons, nudges, offline messages, presence information, and personal status messages.

The interoperability between Yahoo! Messenger and Windows Live Messenger lasted for six years, until it ended on December 14, 2012.

Yahoo! and Microsoft also added interoperability with Facebook Chat in 2010, with the launch of Windows Live Messenger 2011.

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Microsoft Messenger service was discontinued in most markets in 2013, after Microsoft purchased Skype. This decision was made to switch users over to the Skype platform.

The service remained available in mainland China until October 31, 2014. On this date, Microsoft stopped providing the service in China, and users were advised to migrate to Skype to receive free credits.

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Microsoft announced the discontinuation of Messenger in November 2012, stating that users would not be able to sign in after March 15, 2013. However, it was later revealed that only a test group of one percent of users received this email.

The transition to Skype started on April 8, 2013, and took place language by language, with Brazil being the last country to be upgraded on April 30, 2013.

Here's a timeline of the discontinuation process:

Microsoft's decision to discontinue Messenger marked the end of an era for the service, which had been launched in 1999 and had reached a peak of 300 million users in 2010.

Windows Live Messenger 2009 was originally designated version 9.0, but was later assigned the technical version number 14.0 to be unified with other Windows Live programs and Microsoft Office programs.

The Windows Live Messenger team had been working on multi-person audio/video chat, and they were also attempting to create interoperability with AIM/XMPP/ICQ.

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Microsoft sent an invitation to participate in the Windows Live Messenger "9" beta program to Microsoft Connect members on November 20, 2007.

A fan site for Windows Live Messenger, Mess.be, claimed to have a new build of Windows Live Messenger "9" on August 11, 2008, and published screenshots along with a brief summary of new features.

The screenshots featured a new user interface design matching the "Wave 3" design in development by Microsoft.

The installer for the same build was leaked through private forums on August 23, 2008.

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