Editing Microsoft Messenger service

{{Short description|Instant messaging service}}
{{about|an instant messaging service over the Internet|Windows' local service|Windows Messenger service}}
{{more citations needed|date=December 2014}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2023}}
'''Messenger''' (formerly '''MSN Messenger Service''',<ref name="microsoft.com">{{Cite web |title=Microsoft Launches MSN Messenger Service |url=https://news.microsoft.com/1999/07/21/microsoft-launches-msn-messenger-service/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150326091908if_/http://news.microsoft.com/1999/07/21/microsoft-launches-msn-messenger-service/ |archive-date=2015-03-26 |website=Microsoft|date=1999-07-21}}</ref> '''.NET Messenger Service''' and '''Windows Live Messenger Service''') was an [[instant messaging]] and [[Presence information|presence]] system developed by [[Microsoft]] in 1999 for use with its [[Windows Live Messenger#MSN Messenger 1.0–7.5 (July 1999 – August 2005)|MSN Messenger]] software. It was used by [[Comparison of cross-platform instant messaging clients|instant messaging clients]] including [[Windows 8]], [[Windows Live Messenger]], [[Microsoft Messenger for Mac]], [[Outlook.com]] and [[Xbox Live]]. Third-party clients also connected to the service. It communicated using the [[Microsoft Notification Protocol]], a proprietary instant messaging [[Communication protocol|protocol]]. The service allowed anyone with a [[Microsoft account]] to sign in and communicate in real time with other people who were signed in as well.

On January 11, 2013, Microsoft announced that they were retiring the existing Messenger service globally (except for mainland China where Messenger will continue to be available) and replacing it with Skype.<ref name="microsoft.com"/> In April 2013, Microsoft merged the service into [[Skype]]; existing users were able to sign into Skype with their existing accounts and access their contact list. As part of the merger, Skype's instant messaging functionality is now running on the backbone of the former Messenger service.<ref name="microsoft.com" />
==Background==
Despite multiple name changes to the service and its client software over the years, the Messenger service is often referred to colloquially as "[[MSN]]", due to the history of [[Windows Live Messenger#MSN Messenger 1.0–7.5 (July 1999 – August 2005)|MSN Messenger]]. The service itself was known as '''MSN Messenger Service''' from 1999 to 2001,<ref name="microsoft.com"/> at which time, Microsoft changed its name to '''.NET Messenger Service''' and began offering clients that no longer carried the "MSN" name, such as the [[Windows Messenger]] client included with [[Windows XP]], which was originally intended to be a streamlined version of MSN Messenger, free of advertisements and integrated into Windows.<ref name="microsoft.com"/>

Nevertheless, the company continued to offer more upgrades to MSN Messenger until the end of 2005, when all previous versions of MSN Messenger and Windows Messenger were superseded by a new program, [[Windows Live Messenger]], as part of Microsoft's launch of its [[Windows Live]] online services.<ref name="microsoft.com"/>

For several years, the official name for the service remained .NET Messenger Service, as indicated on its official network status web page,<ref name="status">[http://help.live.com/help.aspx?project=wl_messengerv1_1&market=en-us&querytype=topic&query=messenger_proc_checkmessengerservicestatus.htm Check the Microsoft .NET Messenger Service status]</ref> though Microsoft rarely used the name to promote the service. Because the main client used to access the service became known as [[Windows Live Messenger]], Microsoft started referring to the entire service as the '''Windows Live Messenger Service''' in its support documentation in the mid-2000s.<ref name="wlms">[http://support.microsoft.com/gp/Messenger Microsoft Help and Support: Important changes to Windows Live Messenger]</ref>

The service can integrate with the [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] [[operating system]], automatically and simultaneously signing into the network as the user logs into their Windows account. Organizations can also integrate their [[Microsoft Office Communications Server]] and [[Active Directory]] with the service. In December 2011, Microsoft released an [[XMPP]] interface to the Messenger service.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://windowsteamblog.com/windows_live/b/windowslive/archive/2011/12/14/anyone-can-build-a-windows-live-messenger-client-with-open-standards-access-via-xmpp.aspx |title=Anyone can build a Messenger client—with open standards access via XMPP |publisher=Windowsteamblog.com |access-date=June 15, 2013}}</ref>

As part of a larger effort to rebrand many of its [[Windows Live]] services, Microsoft began referring to the service as simply '''Messenger''' in 2012.<ref>[https://status.live.com/detail/msgr Messenger service status]</ref>

==Software==

===Official clients===
Microsoft offered the following instant messaging clients that connected to the Messenger service:
* '''[[Windows Live Messenger]]''', for users of [[Windows 7]] and previous versions
** MSN Messenger was the former name of the client from 1999 to 2006
** [[Windows Messenger]] is a scaled-down client that was included with [[Windows XP]] in 2001
* '''[[Microsoft Messenger for Mac]]''', for users of [[Mac OS X]]
* '''[[Outlook.com]]''' includes [[web browser]]-based functionality for instant messaging
** [[Hotmail]], the predecessor to Outlook.com, includes similar functionality for Messenger
** [[Windows Live Web Messenger]] was a web-based program for use through [[Internet Explorer]]
** MSN Web Messenger was the former name of the web-based client
* '''[[Windows 8]]''', includes a built-in Messaging client
* '''[[Xbox Live]]''' includes access to the Messenger service from within the [[Xbox 360 system software|Xbox Dashboard]]
* '''[[MSN TV]]''' (formerly WebTV) had a built-in messaging client available on the original WebTV/MSN TV and MSN TV 2 devices, which was originally introduced via a Summer 2000 software update<ref>{{cite web |url=http://net4tv.com/Voice/Story.cfm?storyID=2370 |last1=Davenport |first1=Dexter |title=WebTV Details Upgrade: Real G2, IM, Windows Media, More |website=Net4TV Voice |access-date=July 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020227203150/http://net4tv.com/Voice/Story.cfm?storyID=2370 |archive-date=February 27, 2002}}</ref>
* '''[[Windows Live Messenger#Windows Mobile|Messenger on Windows Phone]]''' includes access to the Messenger service from within a phone running [[Windows Phone]]<ref name="MessengerPhone" />
* '''[[Windows Live Messenger#iOS|Windows Live Messenger for iPhone and iPod Touch]]''' includes access to the Messenger service from within an [[iPhone]], [[iPod Touch]] or [[iPad]]<ref name="MessengerPhone" />
* '''[[Windows Live Messenger#Symbian|Windows Live Messenger for Nokia]]''' includes access to the Messenger service from within a [[Nokia phone]]<ref name="MessengerPhone" />
* '''Messenger Play!''' includes access to the Messenger service from within an [[Android (operating system)|Android]] phone or [[Tablet computer|tablet]]<ref name="MessengerPhone">[http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/messenger/mobile?T1=t3 Get Messenger on your smartphone—it’s easy and it’s free!] Retrieved September 7, 2012</ref>
* '''Windows Live Messenger for BlackBerry''' includes access to the Messenger service from within a [[BlackBerry]]<ref name="MessengerPhone" />

==Security concerns==
A 2007 analysis of Messenger's [[Microsoft Notification Protocol]], which is [[Encryption|unencrypted]], concluded that its design "did not follow several principles of designing secure systems", resulting in a "plethora of [[security vulnerabilities]]"; these vulnerabilities were demonstrated by successfully spoofing a user's identity.<ref>{{Citation |last1=Zheng |first1=Oliver |title=Security Analysis of Microsoft Notification Protocol |date=November 2007 |url=https://courses.ece.ubc.ca/cpen442/term_project/reports/2007-fall/Security_Analysis_of_Microsoft_Notification_Protocol.pdf |last2=Poon |first2=Jason}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Microsoft Notification Protocol]]
* [[Comparison of instant messaging protocols]]
* [[Comparison of cross-platform instant messaging clients]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.hypothetic.org/docs/msn/ MSN Messenger protocol documentation]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080807120412/http://msnpiki.msnfanatic.com/ MSNPiki (protocol wiki)]
* [http://en.kioskea.net/news/22737-skype-replaces-microsoft-messenger-for-online-calls Skype replaces Microsoft Messenger for online calls]

{{Instant messaging}}

[[Category:.NET]]
[[Category:Instant messaging protocols]]
[[Category:Windows communication and services]]