Microsoft buys Lookout Software... then kills off Lookout

http://www.lookoutsoft.com/Forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=194

http://www.lookoutsoft.com/Lookout/lookout-msft.html

Q: Why can't I download Lookout anymore?

We will be focusing our efforts on integrating our expertise and working on next-generation technologies. We are going to hold off on growing our user base until our next generation services are available. All current users of Lookout can continue to use Lookout and will be supported via the existing support process on Lookout for a year or until a new technology is available.

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Uh, this strikes me as a bit counterproductive: you buy a company for its technology and staff, but then stop selling the technology? And you place the technology, designed for searching Microsoft Outlook data, under the MSN division?

They did that with GeCad as well. That company sold a Linux antivirus product and once taken over they stopped selling it. I'm sure it happens with other companies they have bought - products that work on competing platforms are no longer developed.

They plan to integrate Lookout's technology into MSN Search. I just hope that they also extend it into Outlook search, but who knows. I too hate that they took the download off...stupid if you ask me.

Microsoft can't develop two products at the same time when both products require the same development resources. What did you expect them to do?

So they bought a company and stopped selling their products.  It's their's now and they can do with it what they want.  If you have LookOut already then count yourself luck and enjoy the product.  You'll reap the benefits of the merge in some other way in one of their products.

Happens all the time.

Oddpost (email provider) was just bought by Yahoo!  The second the ink was dry on the signatures sealing the deal, Oddpost stopped accepting new accounts.

http://www.oddpost.com/learnmore

Something similar happened when Microsoft bought Visio.

Similarly, www.picasa.com now redirects you to www.picasa.com/google ever since Google bought it

MS probably recognized they were going to need some kind of improved search capability in Outlook (à la X1) before Longhorn

Not sure why it would be under MSN, except to say that an MS employee was recently arrested for allegedly stealing search engine source code from his former employer, AltaVista.   Maybe they need to re-write some stuff.  tee hee hee

Shining Arcanine wrote:

Microsoft can't develop two products at the same time when both products require the same development resources. What did you expect them to do?

I never would expect them to develop for competing platforms - but takeovers are not good for all customers, and may even result in job losses.

I haven't even used Lookout, so I don't know what it is like. Hopefully it is a good investment (as at the moment Google is search king).

Karim wrote:

Something similar happened when Microsoft bought Visio.

I'm amazed how Microsoft managed to bloat Visio. The first Microsoft version was painfully slow compared to the last Visio.

Karim wrote:

Not sure why it would be under MSN, except to say that an MS employee was recently arrested for allegedly stealing search engine source code from his former employer, AltaVista.   Maybe they need to re-write some stuff.  tee hee hee

Earlier threads about this:

Suspect in AltaVista hacking case works at Microsoft
Microsoft New Search Engine Preview - Your Opinions

Ok, so I am reading this thread not 5 minutes ago, and up pops the new MS Update system and offers to update MS Lookout to version 1.2, so I did and it works!?

Exactly what is Lookout?

I thought it is what a user does when he uses Outlook.

Shining Arcanine wrote:

Exactly what is Lookout?

Hehehe - I'm so flattered - that auto-update mechanism is one that I wrote for Lookout.  Its not MS Update at all... But its cool that you thought it was

There's now a direct link to download LookOut 1.2 from Microsoft.

And that is possibly the first Microsoft product description I've seen that includes the word "soul"...

That was nice of Microsoft!!!  Just goes to show you that Google isn't the only company that can buy a cool app and then give it away for free.  LOL

FYI, Lookout download is also available in the MSN Sandbox:

http://sandbox.msn.com/

And also available on lookoutsoft.com:

http://www.lookoutsoft.com/Lookout/download.html

Three cheers for free software   Huzzah!  Huzzah!  Huzzah!

Thanks Karim,

I didn't even know that site existed.

P.S.- Are you on Mount Everest in the picture??

You're welcome.  I assume you are referring to the MSN Sandbox?  Personally I am looking forward to the MSN Litterbox (litterbox.msn.com) where one may play with excreted discarded technologies (e.g. Microsoft Bob, Microsoft Agent, Comic Chat, etc.)

I can't remember what I was on when the picture was taken, but, based on the grin, I think it was crystal meth and chewable vitamin C.  What kind of drug is "Mount Everest?"  And does it get you as high as its namesake?

Were you in "the Matrix" in your picture?  (Vance a.k.a. "the White Morpheus")

Karim wrote:

I can't remember what I was on when the picture was taken, but, based on the grin, I think it was crystal meth and chewable vitamin C.  What kind of drug is "Mount Everest?"  And does it get you as high as its namesake?

Were you in "the Matrix" in your picture?  (Vance a.k.a. "the White Morpheus")

Now THAT is some funny sh*t. lol

*LOL*

I'm not telling what I was on when my picture was taken.