Windows Live & Live Search Leaves Beta In The UK

It’s official — Windows Live and the
Windows Live Search service you’ll find there are out of beta in the UK, plus
it’s now Windows Live powering the MSN portal that continues to run despite the
new focus on the Windows Live brand. Oddly, when I got to the Windows Live site
from the UK, the beta moniker is still there. And if there’s a UK-version of
Windows Live, that’s nowhere in evidence. Details from what I was sent about the
release:

Microsoft Corp. today announced the release from beta of Live Search and of
Live.com in the UK, including final availability of Live Local Search.
Microsoft also announced that Live Search will now power the Web search
capability on MSN, the company’s media and entertainment portal, attracting
more than 465 million unique users worldwide per month.

Sharon Baylay, general manager of Microsoft Online Services Group, UK,
said, “The launch of Live Search, Microsoft’s new search engine, follows the
recent successful launch of adCenter, Microsoft’s new advertising platform
which provides greater audience targeting. Live Search completes our strategy
to compete in Search which goes beyond what people have come to expect of
today’s search engines. Live Search offers unique features, controls and
personalisation to put consumers in charge of what they find online whether it
be a web search, images, local mapping and more. Live Search pulls all this
into a new, simple to use, service. This launch highlights our increasing
commitment to search. Microsoft is number one in communications with leading
mail and messenger products and now we’re in a strong position to rival in the
search space.”

Postscript: Microsoft’s UK PR company told me:

You’re looking at the right UK version but the launch starts tomorrow and
will take a day or so to be complete across the network.