.NET Messenger Service
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The .NET Messenger Service (often referred to colloquially as MSN) is an instant messaging and presence system developed by Microsoft. Its authentication system allows anyone with an e-mail address that is registered as a Windows Live ID to sign in and communicate with other people who are signed into the network. The service can also integrate with Microsoft's Windows operating system, automatically and simultaneously signing into the network as the person logs into Windows.
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[edit] Official clients
Microsoft offers the following instant messaging clients that support the .NET Messenger Service:
- Windows Live Messenger, for users of Windows
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- MSN Messenger was the former name of the client
- Windows Messenger was a basic version of the client included with Windows XP
- Microsoft Messenger for Mac, for users of Mac OS X
- MSN Web Messenger, for use through the Internet Explorer web browser
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- Windows Live Web Messenger will be the successor to MSN Web Messenger
[edit] Third-party clients
Additionally, these third-party clients and others can access the .NET Messenger Service:
- Adium (Mac OS X, GPL)
- Agile Messenger (S60 and Windows Mobile, proprietary, commercial)
- aMSN (Multi-platform, GPL)
- BitlBee (Windows and Unix-like, GPL)
- Digsby (Windows, Mac and Linux planned, proprietary)
- emesene (Multi-platform, GPL)
- eMSN (Mac OS X)
- eBuddy (Web & Mobile)
- Fire (Mac OS X, GPL)
- Instantbird (Multi-platform, GPL)
- Jabber (Any client supporting Jabber protocol can use transports to connect to .NET Messenger Service)
- KMess (Linux KDE, GPL)
- Kopete (Linux KDE, GPL)
- Meebo (Web)
- Meetro (Multi-platform, proprietary)
- Miranda IM (Windows, GPL)
- Mercury Messenger (formerly dMSN) (Multi-platform, proprietary)
- Pidgin (formerly Gaim) (Multi-platform, GPL)
- SIM-IM (Multi-platform, GPL)
- tmsnc (Multi-platform, text based)
- Trillian (Multi-platform, Web, proprietary)
[edit] Disambiguation
[edit] Windows NT Messenger Service
Windows NT and newer operating systems from Microsoft included a system notification service called "Messenger Service", which was intended for use within workgroups, but eventually became used maliciously to present pop-up advertisements to users. This service, although it has a similar name, is not related in any way to the .NET Messenger Service or the Windows Messenger instant messaging client. It became disabled by default with Windows XP Service Pack 2 and Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 and was removed completely in Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008.
[edit] Microsoft .NET Framework
Despite its name, the .NET Messenger Service is not in any way related to the Microsoft .NET Framework development platform. Neither the official clients nor the protocol itself is tied to the .NET Framework.
[edit] See also
- Windows Live ID
- Microsoft Notification Protocol
- Comparison of instant messaging clients
- Comparison of instant messaging protocols
- List of instant messaging protocols
[edit] External links
- .NET Messenger Service Status
- Windows Live Messenger
- MSN Web Messenger
- Windows Live Web Messenger (in development; it will be the successor to MSN Web Messenger)
- MSN Messenger protocol documentation
- MSNPiki (protocol wiki)
- Web messengers handbook
