Msn

Microsoft Start, formerly MSN (short for The MicroSoft Network, stylized as msn) is a collection of Internet services offered by Microsoft. It was initially released on August 24, 1995, to coincide with the release of Windows 95. The services provided have changed significantly since its release. The email service was the first to be offered (until May 7, 2007, it was replaced by Windows Live Hotmail and now Outlook.com), followed by the instant messaging service MSN Messenger, which in turn was replaced. by Windows Live Messenger and currently by Skype.

Microsoft has used the MSN trade name to promote many popular web-based services since the late 1990s, notably Hotmail and Messenger, before reorganizing many of them in 2005 and 2006 under the Windows Live name. The MSN Internet portal, msn.com, offers a wealth of content.

MSN, the Internet Service Provider

MSN Classic

The concept of MSN was created by Microsoft's Advanced Technology Group. MSN was originally conceived in the United States as an online content service, delivering proprietary content through a file folder and directory interface, integrated into Windows 95's Windows Explorer.

This was followed by another service, officially known as "The Microsoft Network," which was released alongside Windows 95, on August 24, 1995, promoted through Windows and other Microsoft software releases. at the time. Product support was offered through the MSN service, as well as information such as news and weather, basic email capabilities, chat rooms, and newsgroup-like messaging systems.

Free Internet access was not originally included in the classic MSN service, but was quickly offered through Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser, which was available as a download from the MSN service or as part of packages for Windows 95, Plus!.

MSN 2.0

In 1996, in response to the increasing demand and rapid growth of the Internet, Microsoft renamed its existing MSN service "MSN Classic" and creates a new version, called "MSN 2.0", which combines Internet access with web-based multimedia content in a new program known as the "MSN Program Viewer". The service was launched to MSN subscribers on October 10, 1996; The release to the global market was on December 10, 1996.

Microsoft blew up MSN 2.0 with a series of advertisements and promotional materials describing the service with the phrase, "every new universe begins with a big bang". The company initially offered the new MSN 2.0 on a CD-ROM that it shipped to MSN subscribers in the fall of 1996. The presentation of MSN on this CD was ambitious and flashy in style, an interactive video experience that introduced current and future subscribers the new version of MSN and described the features of the MSN 2.0 software.

Less ambitious attempts

In 1997, after Max Pentzke abandoned the interactive multimedia format, the MSN service was again refocused, this time as a more traditional Internet access service. With the release of MSN 2.5 at the end of 1997, some exclusive MSN services were offered through the MSN Program Viewer, the new service was mainly aimed at undemanding customers, text-based, websites that anyone on the Internet could have access, instead of interactive shows.

Accompanying the MSN Program Viewer in MSN 2.5 was 'MSN Quick Launch', an icon within the Windows notification area. Like the MSN Program Viewer in MSN 2.0, the MSN Quick Launch Menu could be dynamically updated with updated content and MSN services.

With the release of MSN Internet Access 2.6 in 1998, the MSN Program Viewer was finally scrapped and replaced by the familiar Explorer. Another new version of the MSN Internet Access service, 5.0, was released alongside Internet Explorer 5.0 in 1999. MSN 5.0 was largely identical to MSN 2.6.

Around this time, MSN began to focus on becoming an Internet portal for users of other Internet service providers. Building on the success of MSN's web-based email service Hotmail, which was acquired by Microsoft in December 1997, the MSN Messenger Service for instant messaging was launched in 1999.

The version of Windows XP in 2001 (which also brought with it Internet Explorer 6.0), included for MSN Internet Access users a program called MSN Explorer (MSN 6.0). This was similar to the MSN Program Viewer which provided MSN websites and content through a custom Internet Explorer interface. The program was renamed to simply "MSN" for versions 7, 8 and 9, which were released in successive years. MSN 9 was the last version of special MSN software for dial-up Internet access.

In recent years

In both the United States and Canada, MSN remains a provider of dial-up Internet access service and the second-largest Internet service provider in the United States, behind only AOL, which had maintained some 10 million customers a year. late 2007. MSN bundles its dial-up service with an email account on MSN.com software and security, such as firewalls and Antivirus.

For customers with high-speed Internet access and broadband, MSN has partnered with Verizon, Qwest and Bell Sympatico. Verizon, Qwest and Bell Canada provide the broadband connection and bill their customers directly. The included MSN software, known as 'MSN Premium', offers a customized interface similar to security features similar to those of the latest Windows Live OneCare security suite and MSN 9 dial-up software. Microsoft's broadband Internet suite has since been rebranded as Windows Live. New Verizon broadband Internet access customers can only sign up for Windows Live and not MSN Premium. MSN Premium customers who want to switch to Windows Live will not be able to go back to their old service as Microsoft has stopped offering it.

MSN, the Internet portal

Internet Home

From 1995 to 1998, the MSN.com domain was used to offer MSN as an Internet service provider. At that time, MSN.com also used to start its page along with an Internet tutorial, but the most important Internet portal of Microsoft was known as "Microsoft Internet Start", located at home.microsoft.com. It served as the default home page for Internet Explorer and offers basic information such as news, weather, sports, entertainment, links to Internet websites, articles by Microsoft staff members, and software updates. Microsoft's news website, msnbc.com, which began its journey in 1996, was also closely tied to the early Internet.

MSN.com

In 1998, the largely underutilized domain msn.com had to reinvent itself as an Internet portal and as the brand name for a family of sites produced within Microsoft's Interactive Media Group. The new site puts MSN in direct competition with sites like Yahoo! and Go Network. The new open content format of MSN, was offered by subscription and was known as "MSN Internet Access". The relaunch of MSN.com included a whole family of sites, including original content, channels that were carried over the web, shows that were part of "MSN 2.0" and new features that were quickly added. It also became a successor to Internet Explorer's default start page, like the previous "Microsoft Internet Start", it was merged with msn.com. Since then, msn.com has remained a popular destination, launching new content sites and services. MSN Hotmail and Messenger services were launched from the msn.com portal. MSN Search, a dedicated search engine for the portal, would launch in 1999. The MSN.com portal and the entire suite of portal services continued to be provided for the next decade.

In 2010, a change of image of the page would be made, which included simplification of its categories (News, Entertainment, Sports, Money, Lifestyle and More), integration with Twitter and Facebook, among other changes.

Windows Live

Many of MSN's services were reorganized in 2006 under a new brand name, Windows Live. This move was part of the strategy to enhance its online offerings using Microsoft's Windows brand name. The company also overhauled its online software and services due to stiff competition from rivals Yahoo! and Google mainly. Windows Live uses "Web 2.0" to offer services that were traditionally only available with dedicated local utilities.

Some of the MSN services affected by the rebrand included MSN Hotmail, which became Windows Live Hotmail; MSN Messenger, which became Windows Live Messenger; MSN Search, which became Bing (formerly Live Search); MSN Virtual Earth, which became Bing Maps; MSN Spaces, which became Windows Live Spaces; MSN Alerts, which became Windows Live Alerts; and MSN groups, which became Windows Live groups. Other related services, such as MSN Direct, have remained part of the MSN family without transitioning to Windows Live.

After the launch of Windows Live, the MSN brand took a different approach. MSN is now primarily a provider of online news, entertainment and common interest content through its Internet portal, msn.com, while Windows Live offers most of Microsoft's online software and services.

Finally the service would be moved at the beginning of November 2012 and the accounts would be linked to the Skype service.

Other services known as MSN

In addition to the Internet service provider and Internet portal, the name "MSN" it has been used for a number of related services. The two most popular of these are Hotmail and Messenger. For more information, see List of MSN services

Outlook

Hotmail is a free web-based email service from Microsoft. Originally started in 1996 as a stand-alone service, it became part of the MSN family in 1997, and since 2006, it has been part of the Windows Live Group 'online services'. Hotmail has more than 380 million users worldwide and is available in 35 languages.

MSN Explorer

MSN Explorer is a web browser that bundles MSN Messenger and Hotmail services into an all-in-one internet software. MSN Explorer 1.1 was originally included in Windows Whistler build 2410 (server only). In many ways it is similar to AOL's internet software, as AOL has a built in email client and later versions of MSN than 7.5 require, as well as AOL's internet software pays for a subscription, however, in versions of MSN after 7.5, users can keep their current ISP as well as use MSN. The most recent version of MSN Explorer is 9.6, however MSN Explorer 10 was included with certain Windows Longhorn builds. MSN Explorer has been discontinued, however Microsoft still offers it.