| Microsoft service syncs devices online |
Apr. 23, 2008
 Microsoft has announced an Internet-based service designed to synchronize and share data among multiple desktop PCs and mobile devices. In addition to synchronization, Live Mesh provides users with 5GB of storage and remote access to any device in their "mesh," according to the company.
Microsoft describes Live Mesh as a "software-plus-service platform." Apparently slated for integration with Windows desktop and mobile OSes, it reportedly provides synchronization and remote access services similar to those offered by products like LogMeIn, GoToMyPC, and SugarSync.
Live Mesh is built upon a bevy of web standards, including XML (extensible markup language) and REST (representational state transfer). It includes APIs for core services that include online and offline storage, syncing, and peer-to-peer communications. Ultimately, it could enable users to license applications for use across their "mesh," rather than installing them on individual devices. A blog posting by the Live Mesh team explains, "The programming model is the same for the cloud and all connected devices, which means an application works exactly the same regardless of whether it's running in the cloud, in a browser, on a desktop, or on a mobile device."
Much of this is in the future, but a technology preview of Live Mesh was opened yesterday to approximately 10,000 invited users. The preview currently supports Windows XP and Vista clients, with Windows Mobile devices and Macintosh OS X desktops to be later this year.
Microsoft's Live Mesh website
(Click to enlarge)
Users of the Live Mesh technology preview can log into Microsoft's Mesh.com website, where a personalized home page (above) lets them add one or more devices to their own personal mesh. Once appropriate client software has been installed on each device, designated applications, files, and folders become accessible from any of the devices, and changes made are propagated across the entire mesh, Microsoft says.
Of course, accessing or updating files on any device won't work if it is powered down. Therefore, Microsoft also provides what the company calls Live Desktop, a server-based storage space -- 5GB, in the technology preview -- that provides another synchronization point and a buffer for changes awaiting offline devices. Data stored there can be accessed remotely from any web browser.
An application provided with the Windows client software for Live Mesh pops up to provide users easy access to any device in the mesh (below left). It also permits sharing files with friends, family, or colleagues. In addition to tracking contacts' online status, the software provides an indication of who has added or made changes to shared files (below right).
 
Live Mesh permits accessing devices (left) and sharing files (right) via special Windows client software
(Click on either to enlarge)
Not to be confused with the "Live Desktop" mentioned above, Microsoft's RDP (remote desktop protocol) is also built into Live Mesh. Users can interact with the desktop of any connected device simply by double-clicking on it, Microsoft says.
For more information on Live Mesh, see the complete coverage on our sister site eWeek.com, here. To access the Microsoft Live Mesh blog, go here. To join the waiting list to become part of the technology preview, go here (Microsoft Live ID required).
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