Windows Live ID will be a major upgrade to the Microsoft Passport service. Windows Live ID will be the authentication system for Windows Live, Office Live, Xbox Live, MSN and other Microsoft online services. Partners who have implemented Passport are compatible with Windows Live ID.

As with all platform releases, our next release is more than just a branding change for the service. There is a significant amount of work that we've done to not only help partners and end-users realize more scenarios, but also to increase availability, performance and pave the way for future scenarios by making investments up front.

This moves reflects our intense focus to support the new sets of Windows Live services that have been, and will be launching, in full force (eg. www, expo, domains, mail to name a few that have already shipped). As previously mentioned, Infocard support will also be added as a supported credential type