Windows Live Web Services
The Windows Live Web Services enable developers, designers, and enthusiasts to more quickly create compelling web applications. By offering a single and consistent terms of use (TOU) across a range of services, the Windows Live Platform will enable developers and enthusiasts to easily take advantage of Microsoft web services and more quickly deliver rich, personalized web experiences across the web.
Download a map of the Windows Live Platform (5MB .pdf file).
The Windows Live Platform includes the following Web services:
Rich Media Delivery
Microsoft® Silverlight™ Streaming by Windows Live™ offers a free streaming and application hosting solution for delivering high-quality, cross-platform, cross-browser, media-enabled rich interactive applications (RIAs). With the ability to author content in Microsoft Expression Media Encoder and other third-party editing environments, Web designers maintain complete control of the user experience.
Windows Live Photos
The Windows Live Spaces™ Photo control enables end users with photos in their Microsoft Spaces to enable 3rd party sites to access these photos for sharing and additional services. By enabling users to give permission to multiple sites to access their spaces photo, a user can avoid the need to upload photos to multiple sites. For site owners and developers, the ability to access Spaces photos enables singular focus on building value added services and enables a range of new sharing and social networking scenarios. As with all our services, users will maintain control of photos and be able to easily revoke or other limit access to their photos from 3rd party sites.
Windows Live Contacts
Windows Live Contacts™ enables developers use our contact store to use their Windows Live Contacts with a web site.
This control will enable a website or developer to build an application that uses (with the explicit consent of the end user) the contact information users already maintain in Windows Live. This offers the potential to add a social dimension to any website, and when coupled with presence and IM offers a rich set of potential scenarios for websites.
Mapping
The Virtual Earth™ Web Service is Microsoft’s next generation mapping and location service. It deliver innovative mapping services, including bird's eye, satellite and aerial imagery, map styles and enhanced local search.
Live Search
The Live Search™ Web Service enables developers to create applications that return results from the Windows Live Search Engine. By enabling commercial use of the Live Search SOAP API for up to 750,000 queries/month, this service delivers the ability for a wide range of specialized search applications across a range of scenarios and industries.