Thoughts about IM and Social networking: MSN Messenger and Facebook

I wanted to share with you some of my feelings about the way Microsoft is responding to Facebook and social networking in general. MS tried to put some efforts in social networking (i.e. the recent investment in Facebook), but there is a question I've always asked myself: why isn't MS taking advantage of what it already has? I mean MSN messenger and all its user base. MSN Messenger is probably the most used IM network worldwide and despites the fact it is truly a social networks, it is still used as pure IM application and nothing more. Windows Live Spaces is an effort to provide more services, but honestly, not comparable to Facebook. The concept of facebook applications developed by third-parties and beacons (things that made the success of facebook) could easily be implemented in MSN messenger by using the current user base data. And one of the great things here is the fact I wouldn't even have to use the web to use the service, because i can rely on my IM client installed on my machine. Think about receiving becaons or using small applications (like Facebook third-party developed applications) directly on the desktop, without even opening the web browser. Think about being able to do everything that I can do on Facebook today, but directly from my IM client!

Another note: Facebook has just introduced instant messaging. Here they are providing IM as an add-on features of the social network, because they found out the two things marry each other very well. Why isn't Microsoft marrying the existing infrastructure and user base of IM with a social networking platform similar to Facebook?

What do you think of it? Matteo