WINDOWS LIVE PLATFORM LICENSING

Microsoft® is enabling access to a broad set of Web services for third-party application development through the Windows Live™ Platform. Not only can developers create rich applications using mapping and search results with Windows Live Platform services, they also can incorporate end-user data (with the user’s permission) that is stored in or accessed through Windows Live properties, such as Windows Live Hotmail® and Windows Live Spaces. Developers will be charged based upon which Windows Live Platform services they use.

Authenticated and Non-authenticated Windows Live Platform Services

Authenticated Windows Live Platform services enable developers to create Web applications that securely access Windows Live user data programmatically, while letting the user control what type of access, if any, is allowed. Authenticated Windows Live Platform services require that users log in with their Windows Live ID to use or access their data. Alternatively, users can give permission (delegate authority) to a third party site or Web application to access their data on their behalf. Examples of authenticated Windows Live Platform services are the Windows Live Contacts API and Windows Live Messenger Library.

Non-authenticated Windows Live Platform services do not access private user data, so therefore do not require users to log in or authenticate with their Windows Live ID. Examples of non-authenticated Windows Live Platform services include the Microsoft Virtual Earth™ Platform API and Microsoft Silverlight™ Streaming by Windows Live.

Licensing and Pricing Model

The licensing and pricing model for Windows Live Platform services depends upon whether the service requires authentication to access user data.

  • Fees for authenticated Windows Live Platform services are based on the number of unique users (UUs) who have accessed a site or Web application from a single, top-level domain during a given time period. A unique user is a visitor who accesses a site or Web application (directly or through delegation) with a distinct Windows Live ID and whose visit results in server requests to Windows Live Platform services to access that user’s data.
  • Fees for non-authenticated Windows Live Platform services are based on transactions or usage, regardless of who is making the request. Examples of transactions or usage are number of queries during a given time period, compute time, and storage space.

Windows Live Platform Services Pricing

The following table provides an overview of pricing for Windows Live Platform services. Beta and Community Technology Preview (CTP) releases of Windows Live Platform services in have no fees. Services not reflected in the table are either in CTP or have not yet been finalized in terms of pricing or pricing model.


Function Windows Live Platform Service Threshold for Free Usage1 Pricing
Authenticated Services
Identity Windows Live ID
  • Web Authentication service
  • Delegated Authentication service
Not Applicable Windows Live ID Web Authentication and Delegated Authentication services have no user fees.

Accessing the resource providers (e.g. Live Contacts) via Windows Live ID authentication may incur fees.
User Data and Messaging Client-side Controls
  • Contacts Control
  • Messenger IM Control
  • Photo Control

These controls are currently in beta.

 Not Applicable Services exposed through these controls have no user limits or fees.
These Windows Live Platform services are offered as a group and include:
  • Contacts API (including Invitation capabilities)
  • Presence API
  • Alerts API
The Alerts API is released. The other services are currently in beta. 		When these services emerge from beta, usage will be free for sites or Web applications from a single, top-level domain that have less than one million unique users2 (UUs) per month. The number of monthly UUs will be evaluated on a quarterly basis, by averaging the number of UUs each month during the 3 months in a calendar quarter3. See the  FAQ for an example of how this is evaluated When these services emerge from beta, a single per unique user fee will include usage of this set of Web services.
Fees will be incurred for sites or Web applications from a single, top-level domain with one million or more unique users2 per month. The number of UUs per month will be evaluated on a quarterly basis by averaging the number of UUs each month during the 3 months in a calendar quarter3. If the average number of UUs per month meets or exceeds 1 million for that quarter, you will be charged USD $0.0625 per UU per quarter for using this group of services. See the  FAQ for an example of how this is evaluated.
When these services emerge from beta, alternative arrangements may be available, including ad revenue sharing with Microsoft. More information will be provided when available.
Non-Authenticated Services
Search Client-side Control
  • Live Search Box
Not Applicable No user fees or limits.
Live Search API Free up to 25,000 search queries per day. Commercial users may request higher volumes for daily use, as well as access to certain types of information unavailable to users of the free service. For more information, e-mail api_tou@microsoft.com.
Mapping Microsoft Virtual Earth Platform API See the Virtual Earth Terms of Use. See Virtual Earth Licensing. If you are interested in finding out more or would like to license Virtual Earth, contact us.
Rich Media Experiences Microsoft® Silverlight Streaming by Windows Live™

This service is currently in beta 		While the service is in beta, storage is free up to 10 GB, and streaming is free up to 5 TB of aggregated bandwidth per user account per month. Videos should not exceed 10 minutes and have a maximum bit rate of 1.4 Mbps. As the service exits beta, unlimited streaming also will be available for free with advertising, or with payment of a nominal fee for use of the service without advertising. To be announced.
  1. Beyond these limits, you will be required to enter into an agreement for these services with Microsoft when these services emerge from beta.
  2. A unique user (UU) is a visitor who accesses a site or Web application (directly or through delegation) from a single, top-level domain with a distinct Windows Live ID and whose visit results in server requests to Windows Live Platform services to access that user’s data.
  3. A calendar quarter is a full three-month period. The four calendar quarters start January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1 of each year.