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Bebo Inc. the owner of the social-networking site, intends to launch this fall an instant-messaging program created in collaboration with Microsoft Corp.

Microsoft’s idea is to incorporate its Windows Live Web services into other sites, besides Match.com dating site.

Bebo members will be able to use Instant Messaging to communicate with other Bebo members even if some of them don’t have a Windows Live ID.
The communication with offline members will be made through messages but in this case the users must have Windows Live Messenger software installed.

While Bebo will offer Windows Live ID and Microsoft’s address book management tools to its members, Microsoft will not promote Bebo among its users.

Reffering to Bebo’s plans to extend in Europe in more countries including Germany and France, Joanna Shields, company's president of international business, said that "The partnership, for us, gives us an opportunity to expand more rapidly into more European markets."

Adam Sohn, Microsoft’s spokesman recognized that "Bebo's not going to win against Facebook, LinkedIn and everybody else because they have a better contact-management solution."

The Jupiter Research’s analyst, Michael Gartenberg, believes that the most important is not the fact that Bebo is not in the top list in his field, but “how quickly there's a follow-on.”
“It's one of those things where, really, success breeds success," he added.