Free web-based email

Windows Live SkyDrive is releasing a new version today, emerging from Beta. The biggest news is that the free space allotment has been increased to 5GB. That’s more room for all your media and other necessary files, and represents a significant increase from the previous amount of a mere 1GB. Do people need 5GB of online space just yet? Microsoft says that this was a feature that users frequently requested, so a big jump from 1GB to 5GB is certainly one way to deflect attention away from the fact that SkyDrive is looking to compete with Gmail? Even though SkyDrive isn’t an email offering, people often compare the two, for the simple fact that the race for free storage offerings is an ongoing one. ***

The Burton Group research and consulting firm has released a 55-page report indicating that Google Apps should be used in limited circumstances and should not be leveraged for building extensive services. This may go against what some Enterprise architects would hope for, considering the costs of Google Apps, the usability and the brand, especially as Google Apps are being heavily pushed by the company itself. There’s a recognizable shift in market share that the larger software companies like Microsoft must pay attention to. Yet Microsoft Office still has much more functionality and tools for document creation. ***

What ever happened to the MSN Messenger Service? Microsoft's answer to the instant messaging software made popular by America Online is still waiting in the wings nine months after it was announced. As a result, it faces a steep climb to catch up with AOL, which runs the two most popular instant messaging clients: AOL Instant Messenger and ICQ. According to Microsoft, the lag is the result of expansion problems with the integration of Messenger into MSN Hotmail, its Web-based free email service. But analysts and others in the industry point to confusion within Microsoft's management as the real hindrance in the software's release. ***