Chris Jones, Vice President, Windows Live engineering, blogged about how Microsoft will enhance the Live services for sync across different PCs, making a SkyDrive available to every Windows 8 and Windows Phone customer, building a new suite of Metro style apps for communications and sharing and enabling app developers to use Live and SkyDrive through the Live SDK. One of the great things about web-based services is that you can log in from any browser and start right where you left off. The service keeps track of your settings and profile, and you can get started just by typing in your ID. Microsoft says that with Windows 8, you now have that same ability for the important parts of your Windows experience, if you choose to. You can sign in to a Windows 8 PC with your Windows Live ID, and then it gets your profile, application settings, and other important information right from the cloud. And it is all built on top of the Windows Live infrastructure Microsoft has built to support over 500 million active users a month. The Windows Live service also keeps track of all of your Windows PCs and Windows Phones, allowing you to easily connect back to any PC when you are away, or find your phone when it is lost.

Now every person who uses Windows 8 or Windows Phone will have access to a SkyDrive, where you can put your most important files. These are stored in the cloud, accessible from any browser, and connected to the apps Microsoft has built for Windows 8 and Windows Phone. And you can share things with anyone, over email or through networks like Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter.

Metro style represents a new way to write applications, and Microsoft has rewritten its applications from the ground up based on the new Windows 8 platform. The new applications target the new Windows 8 runtime and embrace the Metro style design principles, and cloud powered by Windows Live service. An important aspect of the applications is that they are connected to the services you use every day, so you can quickly get a view of what?s happening. Most people have more than one mail address, and Mail connects to multiple mail accounts, at home or at work. Calendar connects to your work and personal calendar, as well as calendars from friends, co-workers, or family members who have a Windows Live ID. People is a connected address book, bringing together contacts from work, home, and popular networks including Facebook and LinkedIn. Messaging keeps track of all of your IM conversations across Messenger, Facebook, and other connected IM networks. And Photos lets you view your photos, whether on your PC, another PC, SkyDrive, or other popular services.