Microsoft is lying low in Social Media space. Google owns Youtube and Orkut, and it has recently launched Buzz. Yahoo accepted the failure in running the social network, and choose to follow a different path by partnering with Facebook and Twitter. Yahoo has focussed fully on content generation and is using the social networks partnership to drive traffic to its site.

Microsoft on its part is not in talks. People feel the software giant has run away from this space and is a big time failure. But wait a min. If you think, MS has actually left the space you are wrong.

Here are some MS initiatives in Social Media space, which has remained low so far.

1. Microsoft Made Facebook Dominance Possible; Stopped Google

Microsoft invested $240m in 2007 for meager 1.6 percent stake in the Social Media giant. This money gave Facebook the power it needed to stop the growing influence of Orkut, the Google’s social network.

2. Windows Live is not in news but people use it

According to Alexa.com, Microsoft’s Social Engine Live.com is still the 5th most visited site in the World. It lags only behind Google, Facebook, Youtube and Yahoo. It is not in news but people are using it.

3. Office 2010 is expected to make Social Media Mainstream

Microsoft is threatened by Google Buzz, and the company feels Gmail is making it popular. To fight it MS is making a social media friendly Office Package.

MS Office is probably the best app from MS so far. It does not have any good competition so far. Nearest competitor is Open Office, which I feel is only 10% of what MS Office 2007 is. Now 2010 is expected to increase the difference.

MS has already declared that Outlook 2010 will have social media integrated through Outlook Social Connector.

4. Word of Mouth and Social Media Advertising

Microsoft Advertising is no where close to Adwords-Adsense from Google. But MS is not leaving the power-center of Google without competition. It has recognized Social Media advertising as the next growth area and have started developing products to facilitate there.

5. Businesses have MS Sharepoint; 2010 makes it better (Beta Available Now)

Microsoft Sharepoint is the app of first choice for the Business today for networking within office. Some Google fan boys see Google Buzz to throw Sharepoint but it is easier said than done. Most of the big companies I know are using it, and they have no reason to change it.

6. Microsoft signs deal with Facebook, Twitter

Microsoft has signed a deal for using the real time stream from Facebook and Twitter for its search engine Bing. The company has made the search results friendly with this move.

Similar deal is done by Google with Twitter and Facebook but I doubt if Twitter and Facebook will renew the deal after knowing Google’s launch of Buzz.

7. Microsoft and Bill Gates on Twitter; more corporate accounts

Not to forget is the fact that Microsoft has its corporate account in Twitter (not verified ). Even Bill Gates (verified) joined the rat race by collecting huge number of fans in Twitter, and is carrying out his philanthropic works through the account.

The other accounts from MS are (source : on10.net):

• @MSWindows – Announcing Windows 7
• @WindowsLive – Official Twitter account of Microsoft Windows Live
• @MajorNelson – Major Nelson, a.k.a. Larry Hryb of the Xbox 360 group.
• @liveframework – liveframework
• @livemesh – Sync, share, and access the information you care about—wherever you happen to be.
• @SharePoint – The official tweetstream of the SharePoint product group – managed by @LLiu
• @bizspark – Microsoft BizSpark – Software, Support, Visibility
• @zunemarketplace – Zune Marketplace is a store for the way you love music, with brand-new releases every week and a huge selection of music in every style imaginable
• @wmdev – Windows Mobile
• @microsofttag – Microsoft Tag
• @ch9 – listen to the cockpit, help us fly the plane
• @ch10 – Channel 10 is Microsoft’s online community for the technology enthusiast
• @ch8 – Microsoft’s community for students
• @mixonline – Come check us out at www.visitmix.com
• @MIX09 – The Next Web Now, pre-empted by @MIX07, @MIX08 and @PDC08
• @SiteNamedDesire – Want a copy of A Website Named Desire? This li’l birdie will tell you how. Wait for the tweets.
• @MicrsftTech4All – News from Microsoft Accessibility team, which strives for technology to be usable by everyone & complements our physical & cognitive abilities.
• @MSDN – Updates from the MSDN site team.
• @adCenterBlog – News, Tips, Tricks & Best Practices From The Guys At Microsoft adCenter

This shows Microsoft is using and watching Twitter closely!!

Not to forget, Microsoft has Facebook fan pages for all most all of its products and divisions.

Ending Thoughts

Microsoft plays its ball hard, and it plays only when others do mistake. The company is also famous for its negative strategy of hitting the competitors when it see the focus shifted. Social Media is a hot topic now, and Microsoft chooses to stay away from it. Like it did when ERP and SAP were hot topics. MS also remained quiet when Search and Google, or DBMS and Oracle were hot.

Microsoft continued building its business around each of these areas only to emerge as a significant player in every space it entered. Now all three products People Ready ERP, Bing and MS SQL are prominent players in the industry. It didn’t try to dominate the space but created a Technology Company that is most diverse and risk free.

Microsoft is back there building cool products, using the networks and probably looking for acquisition or a launch of new social engine. The giant is off-course not sleeping.

Image Credits: sickfacebook.com, socialmediait.com