Big hopes for Windows Live

Olga Kharif at BusinessWeek reports on an internal memo they acquired where Microsoft SVP David Cole makes aggressive predictions for Windows Live and the timeframe for the success of Windows Live:

"Make no mistake, Windows Live is our strategic bet to change the game and win, while we grow and drive revenue with MSN.com," writes Cole, head of MSN and the Personal Services Group.

Windows Live Mail, the new version of Microsoft's flagship Hotmail e-mail, is hosting 750,000 users, and the company hopes it will host 20 million by June, according to the memo.

Windows Live Local search, customized to the user's geographic location, "is surpassing our competition with industry-leading technology," the memo says.

"Over the next 3-6 months, we'll ship more innovative technology into the marketplace than during our entire 10-year history," writes Cole.

However, Microsoft has a poor track record with these kinds of boastful predictions. For example, Steve Ballmer said in June 2005:

In the next six months, we'll catch Google in terms of relevancy.

Six months came and went.

Recently, Neil Holloway (President of Microsoft Europe) made a nearly identical statement to Ballmer's. After Neil's prediction caught flack in the press, MSN Search GM Ken Moss tried to backpedal and said that Microsoft is "humble", will "under promise" and "over deliver", and that they "won't forecast when [they] might take the lead."

It seems that new humility lasted 8 days.