Microsoft tests dashboard view of online offerings

SEATTLE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp started testing on Thursday a new dashboard view for its various Windows Live online services.

A Windows Live user can sign onto home.live.com and quickly scan for new e-mails, blog postings from friends, contact updates or try out other Microsoft services such as online antivirus and spyware scans.

"It's a quick view and summary for all of the services you are using on Windows Live," Chris Jones, a Microsoft corporate vice president in the Windows Live group, said in a phone interview.

The world's largest software company aims to create a large and engaged audience in order to compete against Web rivals Yahoo Inc. and Google Inc. for tens of billions of dollars in online advertising.

Working in Microsoft's favor is a network of more than 300 million Windows Live users, who frequently log in to check e-mail and instant messages.

The company's other Web services are not as popular, but Microsoft says the new look could help introduce new services to existing e-mail and messaging users.

All Windows Live services will also have a home icon to take a user back to the dashboard view.

Windows Live services are linked on the back end by a common contacts database. A user can post a picture on Windows Live Spaces, its blog- and picture-sharing site, and send a notice to anyone on their instant messaging contact list.

Microsoft has said the next wave of Windows Live services is due out later this year.