Windows Live Contacts

Infobox Software
name = Windows Live Contacts



caption = Screenshot of Windows Live Contacts in Windows Live Mail.
developer = Microsoft
latest_release_version =
latest_release_date =
latest_preview_version =
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genre = Address Book
license =
website = [http://contacts.live.com http://contacts.live.com]

Windows Live Contacts is part of Microsoft's Windows Live services. It integrates tightly with Windows Live Hotmail, Windows Live Messenger, Windows Live Spaces, and Windows Live Mail to provide users access to their contact's profiles and information. It allows a user to share different information with different groups of people.

Features

Real-time Updates

Windows Live Contacts allows real-time updates to contact's information. Suppose one of the user's contacts just moved and has a new home address. When that contact enters their new information in Windows Live Contacts, the user's contact list across Windows Live services is automatically updated in real time. The same thing happens when the user changes his or her details — the user's friends and colleagues immediately receive the new information through Windows Live Contacts. Contact updates can be seen in your Windows Live Messenger and Windows Live Hotmail contact list, and also on user's Windows Live Spaces profile. [ [http://spaces.live.com/profile.aspx?action=learnmore&mode=activecontacts Windows Live Spaces - About Windows Live Contacts beta] ]

Privacy

A user can decide who can and can't see their contact information. They can have their personal information display only to their friends, their friends of friends, people on their Messenger contact list, people who are able to view their Space, or a custom list of contacts.

All users must sign in with their Windows Live ID in order to use the Windows Live Contacts service.

Windows Live Contacts gadget

The Windows Live Contacts control gadget is client-side JavaScript that enables end users to use their Windows Live Contacts (from Windows Live Hotmail and Messenger) with any third-party (non-Microsoft) websites conveniently and securely. The gadget is compatible with any web server, and doesn't require any license with Microsoft. [ [http://dev.live.com/contactscontrol/v0.2/default.aspx Windows Live Dev - Windows Live Contacts Control Beta] ]

Currently only the following web browsers are supported:
*Internet Explorer 6 with SP2
*Windows Internet Explorer 7
*Firefox 2.0
*Firefox 3.0

The Windows Live Contacts control gadget can be seen in several working samples:
* [http://dev.live.com/mashups/partycrasher/ Crash a Party]
* [http://dev.live.com/mashups/partystart/ Start a Party]
* [http://dev.live.com/mashups/contactmap/ Map Your Contacts]

ee also

* Windows Live
* Windows Live Spaces
* Windows Live Hotmail
* Windows Live Mail
* Windows Live Messenger
* Windows Live ID
* Windows Live Dev

References

External links

* [http://contacts.live.com http://contacts.live.com - Redirects to "Windows Live Hotmail"]
* [http://contacts.msn.com http://contacts.msn.com - Public Address Book Link]
* [http://omega.contacts.msn.com http://omega.contacts.msn.com - Windows Live Messenger Address Book Service]
* [http://dev.live.com/contactscontrol/v0.2/default.aspx Windows Live Dev - Windows Live Contacts Control Beta]