Microsoft has revealed this week a set of changes that apply to Microsoft Live and which transform their site into a social network. Microsoft Live was basically a search engine which wasn’t very popular if compared to giants like Google or Yahoo.

But with the new changes comes the hope of greater popularity among users and reviewers and experts in web 2.0 designs have positively reviewed Microsoft Live in its new format. The changes that have applied consist in new online services made available on the site like updated photo sharing, e-mail and instant messaging.

Microsoft Live isn’t officially a social networking site, but it sure acts and looks like one given the new features. Users can now do so many other things using the site, like meeting other people, exchanging ideas and work on their virtual egos. Also, at its basis, Microsoft Live remains the Internet search engine it was always supposed to be, meaning that users can have access to social networking-like features while being able to search the web really fast. Microsoft has also announced that it will integrate different services from 50 other companies like Yahoo’s Flickr photo sharing service, Linkedln, Photobucket, Twitter and Wordpress.

This is an interesting step taken by Microsoft, as it tries to combine as many features possible, given by many other companies, into one big site that could link them all. Basically, Microsoft is taking advantage of all the existing connections and popularity of these services and combines them, giving Microsoft Live a whole new, exciting look.