Microsoft’s new direction for the services of its online Windows Live will bring several new features meant to bring the format closer to the one found on social-networking Web sites. Users will soon be able to share photos with their friends and also add links to other pages such as Twitter and LinkedIn.

At this point, according to Microsoft’s estimates, Windows Live has more than 460 million users, which are expected to benefit from these new options.

The new What’s New feed will allow users to bring in third-party sites like the ones mentioned above and also Photobucket and Flickr. All the information about their profiles, updates, new photos and other actions will be available on the Windows Live network, letting friends know what’s new.

Microsoft announced that it will begin distribution for the improved Windows Live to customers in the United States "over the coming weeks and globally in 54 countries by early next year."

"We're now at the point where we can go beyond soloed communication tools that don't work together -- and start to integrate the best of them," said Windows Live general manger Brian Hall, adding that "We're taking a huge step forward in providing an integrated personal communication service."

The company will release another new set of tools, called Windows Live Essentials, meant to connect the users’ PCs and their online content stored on Windows Live. The tools are designed to help users manage their e-mail and calendars, even when offline, and also to create blogs, more easily tag and post their photos.