Microsoft’s Windows Live Messenger will be switched off in China in October, marking a final end to the 15-year-old service.
Originally known as MSN Messenger, it was launched in 1999 but was switched off for most users last year, after Microsoft bought rival Skype. Users in China continued to use the old service but will now be transferred to Skype by Oct. 31.
Windows Live still had as many as 330 million users as recently as 2009. But those numbers later declined, while users of Skype rose to nearly 300 million by 2012.
Photo: Bloomberg
照片：彭博社
The service came to China in 2005, but later faced stiff competition from domestic rivals such as QQ messenger, built by Chinese firm Tencent.
A number of Chinese Windows Live users received emails from Microsoft, Chinese newspapers reported, informing them of the planned closure.
The e-mails told users they would get free Skype credit when they migrated over to the new service, the newspaper said.
(Courtesy of Liberty Times)
微軟的Windows Live Messenger將於十月份在中國關閉，代表這個已有十五年的服務終將劃下句點。
原本稱為MSN Messenger的Windows Live Messenger是在一九九九年推出，但微軟在去年買下對手Skype後，Windows Live Messenger對多數使用者關閉。中國的使用者繼續使用這項舊服務，但現在這些用戶也將在十月三十一日移轉到Skype。
Windows Live直到二００九年都還有多達三億三千萬用戶。但用戶數後來下滑，二０一二年Skype用戶增至近三億。
這項服務二００五年來到中國，但後來面臨騰訊的QQ messenger等本土對手激烈競爭。
中國報紙報導，許多中國版Windows Live用戶收到微軟的電子郵件，通知他們這項關閉計畫。
電郵告訴用戶，轉移到新服務時，可拿到免費的Skype點數，報紙說。
（自由時報提供／翻譯：自由時報國際新聞中心）
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