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Two other new test versions for Windows Live services -- Windows Live Mail and Windows Live Mail Desktop Beta -- will be available in March, the company said.
Windows Live Mail, already in beta, is expected to go live on Friday to a wider audience with new features added at the request of customers, Microsoft said. Those features are the ability to view Windows Live Mail with a Hotmail user interface, and the ability to personalize the service by applying color themes to the user interface. Windows Live Mail eventually will replace MSN Hotmail, an e-mail hosted service Microsoft currently offers.
Microsoft will release the first beta for another service, Windows Live Mail Desktop, in mid-March, the company said. The service is an e-mail client that is similar to Microsoft's Outlook Express offering and can work in conjunction with Windows Live Mail and other services. Windows Live Mail Desktop will make offline mail, account aggregation and other services available for free to Windows Live Mail users, Microsoft said.
Microsoft introduced its plan to offer hosted services under the Windows Live moniker last fall. A beta version of Microsoft Office Live -- a hosted service offering small businesses Web-site hosting, e-mail, CRM (customer relationship management) and business intelligence -- also is available now.
