Windows Live Messenger's "i'm" Initiative Pulls $1.3M

Microsoft's "i'm" initiative associated by default with the company's instant messaging client has managed to pull in excess of $1.3 million in its first year. The "i'm" initiative was designed to offer a small portion of the advertising revenues received by the Redmond company through the use of Windows Live Messenger in correlation to end users' conversations that contained instant messages starting with "i'm". One year after the introduction of "i'm" Dharmesh Mehta, the Windows Live Messenger product management team, revealed that the initiative was nothing short of a success.

"Every time someone who has chosen to participate in the i'm Initiative has a conversation using Messenger, Microsoft shares a portion of our advertising revenue with the organization selected by the customer. We started this initiative a year ago, and we're happy to report that thanks to the support of many great Windows Live Messenger customers, Microsoft has donated $1.3 million to ten of the world's most effective social cause organizations," Mehta stated.

The Redmond company currently offers donations to no less than 10 organizations selected by Windows Live Messenger users: The American Red Cross, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, The Humane Society of the United States, National AIDS Fund, National MS Society, ninemillion, Sierra Club, StopGlobalWarming, Susan G. Komen for the Cure and UNICEF. Microsoft is at the moment looking for additional institutions to add to this list.

"Because of your enthusiasm, we're also excited to announce that we will be continuing this program. And with no set limit on the amount donated to each organization, the more i'm conversations people have, the more money that goes toward addressing some of the world's most urgent social issues. That basic idea is that we believe every successful business has a responsibility to use its resources and influence to make a positive impact on the world and its people, and Windows Live Messenger is helping to further this commitment," Mehta added.