So as I'm sure most of you know, Microsoft will be launching it's Live! services over the next few months (some products are already out on the market).   So what is Microsoft Live?  I'm talking about the branding and not so much abou the services.  To me, it's just another brand from Microsoft to confuse it's customers.   Why does one company have so many brands?   Microsoft's competitors stick to one brand name and it makes it esay for customers to associate their products and not have to make a distinction between internal business groups. Yahoo groups all of it's products under Yahoo!  Fairly straight forward.

 

Let's take a look at Messenger clients as an example of how Microsoft can't figure out how to have one product and one brand as not to confuse it's customers.  First, there was Windows Messenger.  Then MSN has anothe messenger client with a little more robust set of features called MSN Messenger.  Same product essentially.  And microsoft even has help articles to help customers differentiate between the two even though the article doesn't say what the real difference is other than one is MSN and the other is Windows.   Now Microsoft will be rolling out Windows Live Messenger - same product as MSN Messenger but now it will be called Windows Live Messenger.   So now this gives the help article writers another help file to write.  Great way to use the company's profit if you ask me (very sarcatically said).

 

So all this naming and re-naming reminds me of a guy I knew in junior high school.   As with most kids at that age, he was very self-conscious and not very assure of who he was.  In fact, I remember all throughout junior high, he changed his name.  First it was James.  The second year he went by JJ.  Then the last year he went by Jim.   He was the same guy, but everyone thought he was very confused and a little strange about trying to change his identity by changing his name every year. 

 

Well, maybe Microsoft's marketting department suffers from the same lack of self-indentity.  Instead of changing your name every year.   Take a look at yourself (your product in in this case).  Work on it, and then grow.  No need to try to confuse us with a name change