Microsoft Deepens Mobile strategy disable MSN Mainland exception because time has not come

Xinhua Beijing, November 7, Xinhua comprehensive report "MSN to close, tomorrow go up well to every friend to send a farewell, a good bosom Myanmar to the past." "Earlier this week, when the US tech blog The Verge The Microsoft will deactivate Messenger service, many netizens expressed on the micro-blog to MSN and Miss."

Earlier this morning, the Microsoft Skype Development Blog confirmed the Verge's previous report that the latest plan began in the first quarter of 2013, with Skype as a complete replacement for live Messenger, from which MSN will fade out of sight. However, Tony Betz, chief executive of Skype, said that all countries around the world would shut down messenger services, but China would continue to do so.

Account poisoning, often stolen, spam information flying, customer experience is bad ... all these ills have made MSN's number of users in the mainland declining. Liuzhenyu, general manager of MSN China, said that the current number of active users in MSN in China is 5000 to 60 million, which is far from the 721 million active users disclosed by QQ in last year's year-end earnings.

The death will go to Microsoft to deepen mobile Internet strategic deployment

In May 2011, Microsoft spent 8.5 billion dollars to acquire Skype, the largest acquisition in Microsoft's history. At the time, many analysts were not optimistic about the future of the takeover, as Skype has many similarities with Microsoft's Instant Messaging software MSN. But in just 1.5 hours, Microsoft pushed Skype to the front desk. As Skype replaced MESSENGER,MSN on a global scale, it ushered in a "death".

In the past few months, Microsoft has been shifting users back to Skype's messenger, with 80% of messages sent by users on Skype, according to The Verge, the Technology blog website. The Messenger service will retire in the next few months and be integrated with Skype.

Currently, Skype has about 280 million monthly active users, has been increased by Microsoft since the acquisition of about 100 million users. Messenger's more than 100 million users will account for a significant portion of Skype's total number of users; If Microsoft can seamlessly integrate Messenger services with Skype, it would mean that Skype's total number of users would be increased by 36% and would sit near 400 million users.

A working in foreign companies Wang to Beijing it channel said, because the company shielding QQ, over the years have been accustomed to using MSN, and MSN Concise, generous interface is also very suitable for white-collar workers aesthetic. MSN also has a lot of work or life friends, once the MSN is deactivated and then use other instant messaging software also have to adapt to a paragraph. She also said that if MSN can be "seamless" into the Skype software, the user information and friends all moved to the new platform, may use Skype, otherwise have to turn to QQ, Ali and other software door.

In this connection, "Oriental Morning Post (blog, Weibo)" Interview It legal Experts Zhao occupation analysis, said, "Microsoft to integrate MSN into Skype, after the acquisition of Skype last year, the further deepening of the mobile Internet strategy of the important deployment of MSN existing user resources to mobile phone software, Of course, MSN these years development downturn and have to do business layout adjustment. ”

A large number of users have fled the number of thieves

In recent years, MSN's product experience has not been much improved, and this September Microsoft released MSN Messenger 2011 is "too hard", even if loyal users are not at a loss. In this new version, MSN Messenger incorporates more social elements, but the product experience is not as satisfying.

More than a year, the MSN account was stolen, netizens encounter net silver fraud incidents occur. Although MSN China claims to take various measures, from the continued occurrence of the MSN scam, MSN is clearly not able to provide an effective solution. Today, MSN account security problem remains serious. BEIJING, China's IT channel in the search after the discovery of poisoning, spam, difficult to log in, customer service, such as bad for MSN complaints, so that netizens headaches.

Some experts even said that the virtual world of the theft of fraud and real society, like petty theft, can not be eradicated. The efforts of the Microsoft company alone cannot fundamentally solve the problem of the theft of MSN user accounts. And from the current situation, the growth of MSN, especially the security measures are not comprehensive enough, or even change little, there is a "bottleneck."

In the face of user complaints and help demand, with tens of millions of of users of MSN, but do not provide telephone services, once users encounter problems, only one-way communication rather than interactive communication. MSN This service mode, in more and more attention to service experience today, obviously has been greatly outdated. It's only a matter of time before the user escapes.

The disease is difficult to govern, but the time has not come.

Throughout the global IM market, MSN is the absolute overlord, occupying 40% of the share. Seven years ago, MSN "ambitious" into the Chinese market, but also once sat on the China instant Messaging market, the second place, into China that year occupied about 10% of the market share, has been high-end workplace and white-collar users of all ages.

However, after 06 years, Tencent QQ Group, file transmission, security protection and other functions into the user's vision, MSN "domineering" was reversed. MSN's current market share is less than 5%. In the 2nd quarter of 2012, China's instant-messaging market active accounts reached 1.16 billion, an increase of 17.1% per cent, according to Enfodesk, a quarterly monitor of China's instant messaging market in the 2nd quarter of 2012. QQ, Ali, flying letter continues to lead the instant communications market top three, its active user share accounted for 63.7%, 19.8%, 8.7% respectively. And MSN ranked fourth, about 4.6% of the market share, Skype followed, only accounted for 1.9% of the share.

"Southern Metropolis Daily" reporters interviewed IT experts Xiaodong said that MSN localization strategy in China is not successful, and it is in the awkward position of a certain relationship. "MSN is equivalent to a" no Niang child ", it is not Microsoft's wholly-owned shares, but only a joint venture, Microsoft's advanced technology can not be fully inherited MSN, Microsoft can not provide it with sufficient support. No Microsoft this big tree let MSN China Cool, it has the strength of technological innovation is naturally not enough. ”

In addition, "Daily Economic News (blog, Weibo)" Today to interview business Value Mobile reading editor Yangyangyan, he concluded that the poor user experience, multinational enterprise disease, servers abroad, competitors Tencent is too strong is the main reason for MSN failure in the mainland. "The most lethal hit to MSN is the mobile Internet," he added.

Microsoft is "late" in the mobile internet era. Since 2011, mobile phones, tablets and other mobile terminals in the application of strong momentum, micro-letter, flying letters and other communications software by leaps and bounds, MSN temporarily into the encirclement and suppression situation. With Apple and Google in the mobile end of the market, Microsoft is determined to "reinvent", after the introduction of Windows 8, Surface, Windows Phone, the company's strategic deployment seems to have shifted, its annual report clearly stated that The strategy will be more focused on the cloud services used on smart client devices. (Beijing, the IT channel)