Windows Live Messenger reaches 300 million people

[Matthew DeCarlo]

In a blog post yesterday, Microsoft shared various statistics about its Windows Live services as well as the perpetual impact each form of online social interaction has had previous communication technologies. For example, instant messaging didn't reduce email activity, but instead added to it. Likewise, text messaging and social network sites have had a similar influence.

While email and instant messaging have basically "peaked and leveled off" worldwide, people continue to spend the same amount of time using them, and social networks have grown to match. Citing Comscore, the software giant says roughly 44% of people who use Facebook in a given month also use Hotmail or Windows Live Messenger, and conversely 66% of the of Messenger users also use Facebook.

While Facebook, Twitter and others have grown substantially in recent years, people still IM a lot. Microsoft says over 300 million users in 76 countries and 48 language use Windows Live Messenger every month. Some 65% of those on the Web in Brazil now use the service, while 48% of Internet users in Canada and Spain chat on the messenger, 47% of France, 40% of Italy, and 39% of UK.

Those people use Messenger for 163 billion minutes every month, representing about 9.4% of all time consumers spend on the Web globally. Over 40% of those users sign in every day to have 1.5 billion conversations and send more than 9 billion messages. At peak hours, there are about 40 million simultaneous online connections.

How has your Web usage and online social interaction changed over the years?

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/37887-windows-live-messenger-reaches-300-million-people.html

 

[yukka]

It is a sad fact for facebook that their in browser chat software is nowhere near as stable as live messenger. If a social site actually combined with decent external chat software they would be more successful. I usually speak to people on facebook chat long enough to get them added to my msn.

 

[skitzo_zac]

"Brazil accounts for 65% of those users, while 48% reside in Canada and Spain, 47% in France, 40% in Italy, and 39% in UK."

That all adds up to 239% does it not? Maybe I'm missing something here or it's not worded properly or there are decimal places missing, but those stats just don't add up with me.

 

[Matthew DeCarlo]

Aye, I didn't word it properly at all, fixed.

 

[TorturedChaos]

I don't use MSN / Windows live messenger very much any more. Used to use it a lot in high school, but now most of my chatting is done over Vent, and to a lesser extent texting, email or just on the phone...or even occasionally in person - but I try to avoid that