As an integer part of the Windows Live initiative, Windows Live Mail Desktop aims to deliver a desktop based e-mail client solution independent of the users' e-mail accounts from various services, and offering an alternative to similar Web-based clients. With Windows Live Mail Desktop, Microsoft provides a centralization application, gathering e-mails from different sources and multiple accounts onto a single device while increasing on flexibility and user workflow. With this move the Redmond Company will provide Windows users with a replacement tool to take on the role filled up until now by its Outlook Express utility. Microsoft has announced that it intends to release the application later this year as a free download as it will not ship with its latest operating system for which it was designed. In order to offer the product on a free basis, Microsoft has announced that it will support the application via Active Search advertising.

Windows Live Mail Desktop provides connectivity between the OS and various Live services, linking by default the software to Windows Live Mail services, requiring no configuration from the user. It also integrates Live Messenger into its interface and provides built-in RSS reading and interoperability with multiple inboxes aggregation and POP or IMAP e-mail accounts, featuring advanced protection from phishing scams and junk mail.

"We're driving hard toward our version 1 release and we need your help to locate those hard to find issues that you care about the most and to tell us what you think. We're confident that you will find the beta very usable and we promise to send you a refresh very soon," stated Live Mail Desktop program manager Oji Udezue.