MSN's farewell to China is not a pity; its decline is inevitable

Recently, Microsoft announced via email that the MSN Messenger service will say goodbye to Chinese users.

It will be shut down on October 31, 2014, leaving Chinese users with 60 days of buffer time. "But don't worry, your contacts won't be lost. You can use Skype, and they will also support Messenger, so you can keep your contacts," the notice said. Users also received $2 calling coupons.

On April 8, 2013, Microsoft announced the closure of MSN Messenger services outside of China. Although Microsoft said at the time that it would not withdraw from the Chinese market, this day still inevitably and inevitably arrived.

First, let's be sad. MSN is no longer useful. Here are 7 things to miss:

1. It used to be at the top of the contempt chain.

Those who use MSN look down on those who use QQ, and those who use QQ look down on those who use chat rooms. MSN was once the best tool for noble white-collar workers to prove their identity. Of course, such tools have not disappeared. Nowadays, when meeting someone, don’t mention phone or WeChat. Just say please add my Skype, and people will be amazed. This is a good way to keep in touch.

2. It sounds pretty good.

The three tones of "ding ding ding" were much more pleasant than the coughing and beeping sounds of QQ at the time. They were soft and tasteful. However, it was rare to hear this sound because I couldn't log in. Then I would check the network connection settings, check the firewall, disconnect the network and try again, search the Internet for the customer service phone number... Part of the life of hard-working white-collar workers and business people was dedicated to logging in to MSN.

3. I can no longer see updates, so sad

I always look forward to every update, hoping to see some changes, although I didn’t find any changes in the end. What greeted us were more enthusiastic spam and advertising messages, but those were all beautiful memories of my youth.

4. Miss those elegant emojis

MSN emoticons exude a sense of elegance, like wearing a suit and tie. You can't even express the meaning of the word "hahahaha" with an emoticon. The most "hahaha" emoticon is the one with no teeth showing, and the "furious" emoticon with just a twist of the mouth also shows enough grace. It is really the most polite emoticon in the world.

5. It’s hard to find such a cool chat tool anymore.

For business people, of course, it has to be cool and aloof. The combination of the little blue man and the little green man represents this kind of temperament. This feature is more obvious in China, because even the customer service doesn't want to chat with you (in fact, there is no customer service phone number). It is not common for companies to have such confidence.

6. Small and exquisite

When using MSN, you usually need to use another transmission software to transfer large files to the other party. This shows how sophisticated it is. In fact, many aspects of it are in line with the compact style favored by young people who like efficiency and simplicity, whether in terms of transmission capacity or market share...

7. No more "consolations from friends"

It is always pleasant to see pop-up messages from friends after opening a chat tool. MSN often creates this feeling for you. When using MSN, there will always be strangers greeting you. For example, foreign friends will send you a Hey Cutie, which is equivalent to "Want to meet?" and will also include a virus link.

So, why did MSN Messenger stop working?

In addition to facing competition from instant messaging tools such as QQ and WeChat after entering China, Microsoft's own decision is a key issue. In the fourth quarter of 2013, the number of monthly active users of QQ reached 800 million, while in 2012, MSN's market share in China was less than 5%.

1. Because it is Microsoft's business, but Microsoft is biased

In the years when MSN Messenger needed to develop the most, Microsoft used Office and Windows as its profit centers, which led to Microsoft's Internet business being suppressed by these two products and lacking strategic support. MSN became a marginal product, and although it had 110 million users logging in every month in 2003, this trend was still unavoidable.

2. Because it is Microsoft's business and it is not interested in other people's platforms

It is a product that is attached to Windows. Its rise in the early years relied on the Windows desktop system to seize a large market share, but Windows Mobile was no longer of any help to you. When everyone was using BlackBerry, iPhone and Android, and almost forgot that Microsoft also had a mobile platform, it still stayed in Microsoft's own system and refused to come out. Who is willing to go through mountains and rivers to use MSN in third-party software?

3. Because it is Microsoft's business and is not suitable for Chinese consumers

Chinese people are not used to paying for software, and Microsoft has no place in the unprofitable departments. So even though the whole world considers China an important market, and China has such a high-quality and clearly positioned customer base, it does not bring much revenue. Microsoft's business in China does not match the Chinese market.

4. Because it is Microsoft's business, they think mobile chatting is not a serious matter.

Microsoft was wrong again. You can see people chatting on their phones in movies on CCTV-6, but Microsoft still has no achievements in mobile Internet. Not making progress is a waste of time. Microsoft must have thought: Mobile QQ? That's for kids. WhatsApp? What a naive startup. Would a friend type out a sentence word by word on a phone? That's too stupid. Our mainstream users use handwriting keyboards. WeChat? Oh, by the time of WeChat and Line, no one would bother you to discuss business with them.

5. Because it's Microsoft's business and they are too lazy to do social networking

Murdoch should learn from this. Although MySpace failed, it did take some effort. However, Windows Live Spaces made by Microsoft is a bit confusing. Moreover, it remained indifferent in the era of Facebook. Well, they are probably too focused on their own business. It seems that no one from the United States to China knows what social networks are. How can they not know? Microsoft still holds 1.3% of Facebook shares, worth $286 million.

6. Because… Never mind, it’s not because of Microsoft this time

In China, its new user base has not grown up. Those cool white-collar workers who don't like the noise of QQ are either happily embracing Apple's mobile Internet, or even cooler, becoming executives. They use instant messaging tools through assistants, and assistants of course use QQ. The aging of the user base is an important reason for almost all companies or businesses to go downhill, and it is the most typical one.

7. After all, it’s because Microsoft’s servers are not in China

Because the server was not in China, any disturbance would cause it to lose a group of users. Unable to log in, poor service, poor service is the kingly way to commit suicide.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.