Microsoft has begun offering its Windows Live services in a new dashboard view format. Users of Windows Live once can signed into home.live.com can quickly scan for new emails, blog postings from friends, contact updates and try out other Microsoft services such as online antivirus and spyware scans on the dashboard format.
The new one-page design is expected to improve visibility of Microsoft's online services. Both Google and Yahoo already use a dashboard for their online features.
Windows Live services are linked on the back end by a common database. A user can post a picture on its blog and picture sharing site - Windows Live Spaces and send a notice to anyone on their instant messaging contact list.
Microsoft is expected to leverage its network of more than 300 million Windows Live users, who frequently log in to check email and instant messages. The company's other web services are not as popular, but Microsoft says the new look could help introduce new services to existing email and messaging users.
