Windows Live Messenger blows out 10 candles

Windows Live Messenger blows out 10 candles

Auckland, 24 July 2009 – While the popularity of text messaging fatigues thumbs worldwide, instant messaging keeps fingers almost as busy, with more than half a million Kiwis sending an average of nine million instant messages per day, or nearly 3.5 billion messages per year*.

Ten years to the day Windows Live Messenger introduced computer users to the marvels of instant messaging, the communication phenomenon responsible for spawning modern-day acronyms LOL (laughing out loud) or even ROTFL (rolling on the floor laughing) today reaches a global audience of more than 330 million people, in 36 languages, across 59 countries*.

Promoting the 10th anniversary of Windows Live Messenger, MSN New Zealand business manager Liz Fraser says instant messaging has increased expectations of communication speed and responsiveness. “The beauty of Messenger is it allows people to connect and share emotion, personality and humour for free across the world.”

Windows Live Messenger trivia
• Windows Live Messenger accounts for 9.4 billion instant messages sent daily around the world‡
• New Zealanders keep an average of 57 Windows Live Messenger contacts each*
• There are approximately 40 million conversations taking place on Windows Live Messenger at any one given time around the world
• MSN Messenger 1.0 launched in 1999 in four languages: English, French, German and Japanese
• In its first five months, MSN Messenger members grew to 4.5 million active accounts, messaging in 26 languages
• MSN Messenger was renamed Windows Live Messenger on 20 June, 2006
• Six in 10 of the world’s instant messaging users choose Windows Live Messenger

ENDS

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