Microsoft's plans to rebrand certain MSN services under the name "Live" could be interpreted as a sign of weakness, according to an Associated Press report. MSN Chief John Nicol begs to differ, saying
the changes will allow MSN to focus on providing more entertainment services, including more opportunities to create and contribute its own content to the portal. MSN will be more community-rich, he
said, containing user videos and reviews of things like hotels. Analysts aren't quite sure what Microsoft is up to by divorcing MSN from many of its core former services. MSN Hotmail, MSN Search, MSN
Spaces and MSN Messenger are now part of the company's "Live" service. Without these properties, some feel MSN has become an afterthought that the company will likely faze out in the next few years.
Microsoft is heavily trumpeting Live as its next big foray into products and services reminiscent of Google and Yahoo; the company claims Live's tools are meant to complement Windows. MSN's Nicol
agreed that having two Internet-based brands could be confusing for consumers, but that confusion should clear once the new products are launched.
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