1. Microsoft Messaging Technologies David Bamber Gemma Bone Peter Buckingham Kate Fleetwood

2. Introduction Brief History of Communication Current Microsoft Messaging Technologies Social issues with Messaging Technologies Future Directions at Microsoft Questions?

3. History of Communication Development of Language Letters –Postal Service Telephone –Mobile Phone Text/Photo Messaging Email –Instant Messaging

4. Microsoft’s Current Communication Tools Supported by Passport Instant Messaging systems (Windows Messenger and MSN Messenger) Chat rooms Groups Net Meetings

5. Current issues with Messaging Technologies Focus on: –Chat –Instant Messenger –Online Communities Microsoft’s research groups Community Technologies and Social Computing – principally concerned with how people use this software and how effective they are

6. 2 Domains Business –Desire for quick, direct communication Social –Conversing with friends –Meeting new friends

7. Covered Microsoft Research Areas Instant Messaging Extensions –Media Centre –Three Degrees Video Messaging –Microsoft Portrait Social Computing

8. Instant Messaging around a Media Centre Messenger on your TV Shared viewing –Privacy –Distraction Replies –Input –Manual/autogenerated

9. Three Degrees. Uses peer-to-peer technology to connect a small group of friends or family –Throw animations onto other group members’ desktops –Listen to shared play lists simultaneously –Easily send photos or files –Initiate group chat with MSN Messenger

10. Video Messaging Current –IM applications & Netmeeting –Work on fast networks –Advanced video codecs (MPEG & H.263) Problems –Network bandwidths vary –Mobile devices limited

11. Microsoft Portrait Microsoft Portrait - Basics –Bi-level video –Reduces each pixel to 1bit –Thresholding –Maintains outline features –Very low bitrate –But poor quality

12. Microsoft Portrait - Colour Watercolour Video –Image split into blocks –Rounds colour information –Selects most frequent colours –Sets each block to closest selected colour