Bebo is partnering with Microsoft in order to use its Windows Live instant messaging service throughout the Bebo network. This marks the first time Microsoft has partnered with a social network to provide IM tools.
Now, users on Bebo can chat with friends within the Bebo network as well as import and export between its contacts on Windows Live and Bebo as well. This makes it more than just a partnership to let Bebo users chat with Microsoft's instant messaging client--it's also a merging to networks to some extent. As part of this partnership, Microsoft will place an instant messaging button on profiles that will let site visitors send an IM by clicking on this button. Another reason why this is a good match for both Bebo and Microsoft is the estimates that indicate that 90% of Bebo users already use Windows Live instant messaging services.
Microsoft is looking to move further into the social networking realm, and it's also announced today that its Windows Live now offers developers a tool for web ID authentication. In related news, Facebook is now allowing users to send emails out to other email clients, moving it closer to the status of a portal.