14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is shutting down yet another phone service that its users currently benefit from, namely the Windows Live SMS alerts.
Reportedly, the Redmond-based software giant has already sent out notifications to its users, informing them on the imminent closing of the service.
The same as with the Bing 411 service, previously known as Live Search 411, the Windows Live alerts will go down at the end of this month.
The feature will be closed on May 31st, 2012, Microsoft notes, without offering specific details on what determined it to take this decision.
The alerts feature is currently available for Microsoft Hotmail, Microsoft SkyDrive and Windows Live Messenger.
“You might be using the alerts feature to have text messages sent to your phone when a new mail, Messenger social or SkyDrive comment arrives,” Microsoft notes in an email sent to its users, LiveSide reports.
“The Windows Live mobile alert feature is being discontinued as of May 31st. This means you will not receive text messages on your phone when a new mail, Messenger social or SkyDrive comment arrives.”
Microsoft also reminds users that these services can be accessed directly from their computers or through their phones. A web browser is all they need for that.
“We remain focused on making Hotmail, Messenger, SkyDrive and your Windows PC the best that they can be. Note that this change has no impact on your ability to access Hotmail, Messenger, and SkyDrive,” the Redmond-based company notes.
Microsoft has been focused on providing users with mobile applications to access these services from handsets powered by Android, Windows Phone, iOS and other platforms, and it makes sense that they wanted to kill off the SMS alerts system.
However, that doesn’t mean that there won’t be users affected by the move, since not all of them might have upgraded to a smartphone compatible with these apps, that’s for sure.