Now that Google, Yahoo! and MySpace are setting strong roots with their OpenSocial platform, Microsoft announced its collaboration with five social networks, Facebook, LinkedIn, Bebo, Hi5 and Tagged on the Windows Live Contacts API, which will bring the social networks’ users closer together, by allowing them to manage the data they’ve stored on the web and connect with friends on different networks.

Microsoft announced on Tuesday its intention to give users the possibility to control their information and to show their support for data portability. “Microsoft has partnered with some of the world’s top social networks on contact data portability,” said John Richards, Director of Windows Live Platform in a blog.

Richards highlighted the purpose of the collaboration with the five partners is “to exchange functionally-similar Contacts APIs, allowing us to create a safe, secure two-way street for users to move their relationships between our respective services.”

At the same time, Microsoft introduced the www.invite2messenger.net website, where people can visit to invite their friends from the partner social sites to join Windows Live Messenger, providing easier and safer ways for people to stay in touch on the web.

Microsoft already included the Windows Live Contacts API as of Tuesday for www.facebook.com and www.bebo.com, and expects the feature to become available for Hi5, Tagged and LinkedIn within the following months, Richards said in his blog.

The collaboration between Microsoft and Facebook came as no surprise, after the Redmond-based company made a solid equity investment in Facebook in October last year. Richards said Microsoft has been working on improving the online experience of their users for some time now, and that this is one step in that direction.

“Microsoft has been making investments in the pursuit of data portability,” said Richards. “We look forward to continuing to engage in the dialogue on data portability to the benefit of the Internet, its users, and developers.”