Report: Microsoft planning a Flickr clone
A job ad indicates that Microsoft is hoping to build something like Flickr and YouTube for its Windows Live online services.
- Shankland covered the tech industry for more than 25 years and was a science writer for five years before that. He has deep expertise in microprocessors, digital photography, computer hardware and software, internet standards, web technology, and more.
Judging by a Microsoft job ad, the software giant wants to add a Flickr-like service to its online efforts.
According to text from the ad, republished by Long Zheng's istartedsomething blog, the company is looking for a program manager for a new division of its Windows Live effort.
"This feature team is building a next-generation photo and video sharing service that will compete with Flickr, SmugMug and other photo web solutions today. This is a 'v1' opportunity," the ad said. And video will be a part of the effort, too: "This role will work across the new Windows Live division with teams like Spaces, SkyDrive, Messenger and Hotmail to construct a winning strategy for Microsoft in photo and video sharing."
Evidently, Microsoft sees the effort as an online extension of its current desktop technology.
"The Digital Memories Experience team (DMX) is helping people make deeper connections with those they care about. We want to give you the ability to effortlessly share your memories, be that a simple slideshow of photos and videos (e.g. evolution of the Vista Slideshow or of Photo Story), a carefully authored experienced (evolution of Movie Maker), or a fully interactive cinematic multimedia experience (a narrated 3D path through a Photosynth that you can control)," the ad said.
And the service will be available from many computing devices: "We want to make it easy and fun to enjoy your photos and videos, whether that is on the PC in your office, the Media Center in your living room, the XBox in your entertainment center, or on your mobile device when you are out and about."