That's right... The first beta for Windows Live Messenger 9.0 is up for grabs directly from Microsoft. Designed as the successor of Windows Live Messenger 8.5, which was shipped concomitantly with the second wave in the evolution of Windows Live at the beginning of November, Windows Live Messenger 9.0 is a major update to Microsoft's instant messaging client. In this context, users should not expect any interim updates to Windows Live Messenger 8.5, except for minor refreshes and security patches.

At the beginning of the past week, the Redmond company delivered the first invitations to the private beta for Windows Live Messenger 9.0. And as of November 27, the next generation of Microsoft's IM client is available for download via Microsoft Connect. The Redmond company welcomed the participants of the Windows Live Messenger 9.0 Beta testing program with an email pointing them to the download link.

"Congratulations and welcome to the Windows Live Messenger 9.0 Beta! We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into the Windows Live Messenger 9.0 beta program! We're excited to hear what you think about the next version of Windows Live Messenger. As part of this select group you get an exclusive preview of Windows Live Messenger 9.0," reads the introduction of the email, as published on WinBeta.

In this manner, Microsoft confirmed that the private Beta program for Windows Live Messenger 9.0 went live. The build of the new version of the instant messaging client is 9.0.1407.1107. Since this is a very early build of Windows Live Messenger 9.0, the graphical user interface evolved little in comparison to the predecessor version. Initial reports point to strong similarities between versions 8.5 and 9.0 in terms of the UI.

"Please note that this is a private beta for a very small audience only - Windows Live Messenger 9.0 isn't ready for wide distribution yet. By entering the beta, you're agreeing to use the client and send us feedback, and to not share it with anyone else. Doing so is against the Terms of Use. If the build gets out too widely and starts causing problems on the service we may have to shut it down. We don't want to do that and we know you don't want that to happen, so please keep it to yourself," Microsoft added in the email.

At this time, only approximately 5,000 testers were permitted access to the private beta of Windows Live Messenger 9.0 on Microsoft Connect. Still, the company indicated that the testing pool will be broadened in the future although it failed to deliver additional detail or to point to a specific date when it plans to do so.

"Check out the Release Notes to get the whole list of what's new in this build and the list of known issues. This beta is a very early build, so you may find that it's less stable than beta clients you've tried in the past. The Known Issues list will tell you where you may run into more disruptive bugs. If you think you've found a bug, check there before filing it in the bug form. When you are ready, go to the download page to get started. Use the beta client the way you normally would, try out the new features, and let us know what you think. Thank you again for taking the time to participate in the Windows Live Messenger beta program. We look forward to hearing from you", is the last part of the email from the Windows Live Messenger Team.