Ray Ozzie first hinted at it during a keynote speech last March. But tonight Microsoft is finally launching a preview beta of Live Mesh, a new Windows Live platform for syncing files and, eventually, applications across different devices. (Of course, for Microsoft, a beta means 10,000 people, so you have a pretty good chance of getting in if you sign up now—or not). Mesh is really a key element in chief software architect Ozzie’s efforts to make the Web the center of the Microsoft experience for consumers instead of the PC.
Mesh lets you set up a virtual desktop online, and connect different computers to it. Put any file into a Mesh folder and it automatically syncs between the online desktop and every connected computer. Select a file or folder and you can easily share its contents—photos, videos, music, documents—with any friend or family member. You can also remotely control a connected computer from the Live Mesh desktop. Right now, this works with any computer, as long as it is running Windows XP or Vista. But the longer-term vision is to truly make this work with any device. Mac and mobile versions are coming later this year. And eventually, anything from Xboxes and DVRs to digital picture frames and printers could be connected through Mesh.
A hundred of Ozzie’s engineers have been working on Mesh for the past two years. At launch, it may not seem like much more than a combination of Windows Live SkyDrive and FolderShare, but under the hood it is an ambitious platform play. Mesh is really aimed at developers. Not only does it provide a framework for syncing files between devices, it can also sync applications. The way it does this is by using a two-way RSS or Atom feed developed by Ozzie called FeedSync, formerly called Simple Sharing Extensions.
The basic foundation of Mesh is this feed-centric programming model. A Web developer can build an app using any programming language or tools he likes (Python, Ruby on Rails, Flex) and then sync it across devices and other applications using two-way feeds as the basic data and communication channel. The promise for developers, says product unit manager Abhay Parasnis: “If you Mesh-enable your application, we will let you extend it to other devices.”
Microsoft is offering a set of Mesh APIs that include storage services, membership, sync, peer-to-peer communication, and a Newsfeed feature that tells users the status of different folders and who’s accessed them. The same programming model works whether a developer is building an app for an offline device or for the Web
In many ways this effort is a counterweight to what we are seeing with Adobe Air or Google Gears, which are efforts to take browser-based apps offline. With Mesh, Microsoft is in effect reasserting the primacy of client-based applications. They need not be Windows-based, but I’m sure that won’t hurt. Developers can customize their apps for whatever device they originally reside on—whether it is a PC, a smartphone, or a set-top box—and then Webify them by syncing them to other applications across the Web. These apps could be more powerful than apps confined to a browser-like sandbox without giving up the connectivity of the Web.
One example given to me was a PC-based genealogy app that would update whenever a family member made a change on their computer. The problem with this example, and perhaps the problem with Mesh, is that there is already a solution to that synchronization problem. It is called Geni, and it is a Web app. What I’d like to see, though, is a Mesh version of Word or Excel. That could at least begin to answer the threat presented by Google Docs and other online productivity apps. Mesh makes ciient apps social by linking them together and to the people you know.
Intuitively, Ozzie understands the need for this shift in focus on the part of Microsoft. In a strategy memo to employees, he writes:
To individuals, the concept of “My Computer” will give way to the concept of a personal mesh of devices – a means by which all of your devices are brought together, managed through the web, as a seamless whole.
. . . Live Mesh, a new services platform technology that will also become part of Windows Live, further extends the Windows / Windows Mobile / Windows Live experience by bringing your devices together to work in concert with one another using the web as a hub, enabling:
Unified Device Management – Users will register their devices through a simple, web-based service. Once a part of a user‟s device mesh, whenever they happen to connect to the internet the devices “report in” to the service – e.g. for status, health, location, and to exchange/synchronize information. Mesh-aware device configuration/personalization will be done through the web, and full remote control of a device (e.g. remote desktop) will be available from anywhere.
Unified Application Management – Installation and management of “mesh-aware” applications on any or all devices, along
with their application settings and data, will be simple and transparent for the user. Individuals will now enjoy the centralized
cross-device purchase/deployment experience formerly available only within the enterprise environment.Unified Data Management – Folders and files (e.g. documents and media) will be automatically synchronized and made available across any or all devices, as well as through the web. Because every folder can now have an extended web presence, even PC-based documents and media can now have a social mesh element to them.
If Mesh gets adopted, it protects Microsoft’s client- and server-based software franchises, while opening up new revenue streams for “meshing” other companies’ applications together. Don’t be surprised to eventually see Microsoft impose utility pricing for cloud computing services that support Mesh services such as storage, syncing, and messaging between users. But that won’t come for a while. First, it needs adoption.
Here is a reviewer’s guide, with screen shots following.
Impressively so!
Is RSS powerful enough for synchronizing data? Nice that they’re thinking of a solution including Macs though.
And so it begins…
Actually, the “tech preview is full”
That’s too bad. I’m using a combination of Mozy, Sugarsync and LogMeIn to keep things in sync.
Sounds like a web-based version of Groove, which was the company Ozzie founded and MS bought.
This is a big step forward towards interoperability across apps, data and devices, but glaringly missing is that it is only applicable to Windows - very, very shortsighted imnsho.
Very nice! I wonder how long until we have all our applications based in a central location and remote devices cheap and easy to use? Isn’t google working on something similar to this?
Hi,
The Inevitable future.
Robbe Bach outlined this as part of of X-box 360/Gaming.
What it really is, is Microsoft trying to retain it’s market as it slowly waves good-bye.
Almost too late, in competition with open-API’S and the Symantic Web 3.0, but for the probable lazy developers who won’t have to do much work just to put everything through Live Mesh, and familiar 90% of users who mostly don’t know or care what Web 2.0 is!
If Microsoft get this onto Windows Mobile (+ symbian compatibility) and offer a decent web-office, they might just make it game-over for the other players, but we are talking about Microsoft here.
Yours kindly,
Shakir Razak
IT will never use this !!! Are you kidding me ? Companies right now are widely adopting IE 7, not to say secure VPN, SVN, etc. Tell me why do I need this again ? Because the GUI looks pretty ? Anything Microsoft creates will be hacked. What looks nice now is an exploit waiting to happen. That’s my take.
its all full now…
This stuff is really much deeper than I was expecting. http://scobleizer.com/2008/04/.....live-mesh/ is my writeup.
Hi,
Just remembered that bid for Yahoo…..
Some prescient thought: http://www.charlesarthur.com/b....._popup=989
This is like his previous work, but If Ray Ozzy wants to forge Microsoft ahead into the 21st century, he’s going to have to do a lot more than what companies like Sproqit, and web-synchronisers have been doing for a very long time.
Yours kindly,
Shakir Razak
albeit less social than it could possibly be…
MJ Foley has more details and charts.
http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=1355
Also, LiveSide.net.
Sounds very ambitious and cool. Much more game-changing than AIR (let alone Gears… yawn).
It will be interesting to see how this affects communication and online presence in the days to come.
Though there might be security issue, I think it’s still a tool for sync all info between devices.
>IT will never use this !!!
While all those exclamation marks do make a good point….I’d say that since MS is talking about sharing photos and how gaming and DVR platforms will eventually be added it appears obvious that, out of the gate anyway, it is aimed at consumers and those developing for them. However, even though IT already has tools to do a bit of this I can see companies being attracted to it because supposedly you will be able to use your own servers and not just MS server farms.
>there is already a solution to that synchronization problem. It is called Geni, and it is a Web app.
I have no idea if Mesh will work but comparing the website update example to geni (a nice app) which just emails you when something changes…wow it just massively misses the larger idea at play here.
I’m tracking all the places where Live Mesh has been mentioned by bloggers - check it out here http://blogs.msdn.com/angus_lo.....e-ups.aspx
the Web Live Desktop piece is especially interesting - I can’t wait until they open it up some more and let more people in. For those who are complaining about MS support out of the chute - come on - MS still owns 90+% of the market - if you are launching a new product focusing platform support on Windows make sense.
They are on record saying Mac and Mobile support is coming - that alone tells me that they are already working on delivering support there - obviously they have to deliver, but ripping them for launching a product that supports 90% of the desktop/laptop systems out there is just silly.
… BTW, love the snark: “As long as they’re windows…”.
So, only 95% of computer users will benefit, initially.
Darn.
Wow, I can’t beleive it takes 6-7 pageviews just to join the waiting list on this and I do have a windows live id.
Of course MS is trying to retain hold on MS only. But I believe I can do this with Sharpcast (http://www.sharpcast.com) already and between the PC and Mac. Unless I am missing something here. Too bad MS has limited the genius of Ray Ozzie, since we might very well see an entire Web Mesh regardless of platform. I will say it looks and sound great for windows only, but less and less are using windows these days.
iPaper sucks. I’m seeing Error 2032. Please use something else or just give us a PDF… no need for these gimmicks. Thanks!
Hi,
The right link for a previous comment (see the comments section of the link):
http://www.charlesarthur.com/b......php?p=989
Yours kindly,
Shakir Razak
so Microsoft finally came up with something interesting & original ?
have a look at Peepel.com already does online/offline multi window doc and spreadsheet with provisions for tiled GIS maps. Multi user and easy on the server tied closely to particls “Attention profile” RSS feeds all = some really powerful and cool online collaborative tools.
My first thought is that this looks very much like the infection vector for an unstoppable new wave of zombie PCs.
this is the beginning of the real deal. get ready to have access to everything everywhere. conduits to different platforms are next.
Is this the Mesh or the Matrix? Is Michael Nero.
Ooooh goody. Microsoft has .mac now.
Ooooh goody. Microsoft has .mac now.
micorsoft, adobe, google
3 different sets of values
- sync and extend
- eye candy web interface
- plain old web (read standards based and portable)
Mesh Is Great
I had a detalied look at the livemesh and also saw a video clipping at sugarsync.com, I wondering why Microsoft is creating so much buzz about this (atleast at this stage of the product), when I see no virtual difference between this and sugarsync other than the added collabaration (Yawn!) features
Honestly, besides emailing my clients from time to time, I forgot what emailing is about..:)
It is social media for me all the way!
Seems like this completely ignores the trend towards data-portability. Forget about transferring your data/settings to another data provider like Google or Amazon… once your things go into Microsoft’s service, they aren’t coming out.
Maybe I’m wrong, just feels like another way to lock you into the aging Microsoft stack.
If they integrate this by default into Vista + 1, isn’t that utilizing a monopolistic position to prevent fair competition from Amazon, Google, Yahoo? (i.e. antitrust)
why should I care about Mesh?
Loren Feldman, I like to hear more from you what do you think is great about this.
Mesh is fantastic
I love the video comments, but can they go beyond 10 seconds?
The Live Mesh service is currently unavailable. Please try again later.
anyway, portability is the future, there will be computers with only Browsers and BIOS
Right - so 90% of the world is no Wondows. So what’s you’re point?
@add you hit the nail right on the head!
@Igor the troll the limit on video comments length is 5 minutes
@Loic, so can you expound on Fantastic.
You sound like you’ve just come back from a blind date with a chick! She is so beautiful and fantastic. 
Igor, I will check with my wife what she thinks about your comment
Guys this is the real gem! Michael must have gotten tired up with Jason.
http://www.techcrunch.com/2008.....e-the-web/
I can see some real businesses uses for this. I use multible computers so this would be useful if I can just have my stuff there on each one.
I can also see simple games being written using this. feedsync has been around for a while to play with so I am wondering what the mesh api offers that is different.
Transferring files between Windows devices/machines is one thing, but convincing companies and developers to use Mesh for their distributed applications is something much more difficult.
@36 Smart:
“Seems like this completely ignores the trend towards data-portability. Forget about transferring your data/settings to another data provider like Google or Amazon… once your things go into Microsoft’s service, they aren’t coming out.”
I think I agree with you.
Is Microsoft going to integrate Live Mesh effectively with every cloud computing standard? Is Live Mesh really going to play nice with OS X, Symbian, Blackberry, Android, and J2ME applications? In other words, is it going to be broad enough and powerful enough to become the standard for distributed and cloud applications and beat all of the competition? Those are my questions.