But, as some people say, everything has a reason. I think there is a reason why there is no official Messenger app and why the current Messenger app says “by Miyowa”.

I think, that like copy and paste, Messenger functionality wasn’t included in the OS for version 1 of Windows Phone 7 but I believe it is certainly a planned feature to add. My reason for this is Kinect and the Windows Live Messenger integration the accessory brings to the Xbox. Windows Live Messenger seems to have received a renewed focus from Microsoft on getting the Instant Messenger service on as many platforms as possible and bringing new functionality to the service. This can be seen with iPhone app, the Facebook Chat integration and the social streams that can be served to the various apps.

I would want, and expect, the Messenger integration to do such things as integrate with the People hub so that people who I have recently spoken to via IM show up as in the “recent” list. It would be good to have IMs feature on a Live Tile so I know if how many conversations I currently have, provided I am signed into the service. I like the idea that IMs could be delivered via push notifications so I could just remain signed in and people could contact me wherever I am through Facebook Chat or Messenger for an instant response. I have friends on Facebook who don’t have my number or email address (they could find this out on my Facebook profile, not that many will be bothered with that though).

Another thought I have had is that could IMs be treated alongside text messages? On the web Messenger it is possible to send messages via the Messenger or Facebook IM protocols and also SMS. Might it be possible that you could have a conversation with someone via your Windows Phone 7 that allows messages to be SMS or IM depending on what contact details one has. Both are instant messaging however one is free (well with unlimited internet access anyway).

I want to see Messenger and Facebook as options for “sharing” content on Windows Phone 7 such as apps, currently its only possible text or email someone. I also wonder if Microsoft have seen how Apple have been able to advertise (the horrendously named) FaceTime and will want in on that too allowing people to video chat via Messenger. With the ability to video chat via a TV through Kinect and via PCs through a webcam and Messenger 2011 it only makes sense that Windows Phone 7 would be the third screen, now just to have the ability on Web Messenger and that will be the cloud covered too.

The reason I think the current Messenger app says “by Miyowa” is because Microsoft don’t really want to be associated to it as they plan on releasing an update that brings the Messenger functionality to the entire OS rather than as a separate app. If this kind of functionality is coming within the first Windows Phone 7 update, as I hope, then it could explain why little effort seems to have been put into the current Messenger app. Why work hard on an app only to have it inbuilt in the OS with more and better functionality?

Interestingly today’s news about Windows Live Messenger coming to Samsung TVs goes some way to reinforce my belief that we will see Messenger properly on Windows Phone 7 sometime soon.

Can you think of any other uses for Messenger being inbuilt into Windows Phone 7? Do you even think it will be inbuilt?

You know I am always keen to see Microsoft integrating more of its services with other ones so this is great to see, however, (and this wont come as a surprise to many) I can’t seem to see this yet on the UK version of Bing, only the US. I wonder if we can expect to see this little icon appearing across other parts of the web, here’s to hoping.

Thanks to Manan for the info who actually told Liveside but they have yet posted about it.