| Microsoft HailStorm | |
| Screenshot Size: | 148px |
| Commercial: | Yes |
| Owner: | Microsoft |
| Launch Date: | Abandoned |
.NET My Services (codenamed Hailstorm[1] [2]) is an abandoned collection of XML-based Web services by Microsoft for storing and retrieving information.[3] [4] NET My Services was announced on March 19, 2001 as part of Microsoft's .NET initiative and was intended to rely on what was then known as a Microsoft Passport, a single sign-in web service now referred to as a Microsoft account.[4] [5] [6]
.NET My Services was a platform intended to facilitate the storage and retrieval of user-related information, such as contacts, calendar information, and e-mail messages, by allowing it to be accessed from a centralized repository across various applications and device types, including traditional desktop PCs, and mobile devices such as laptops, mobile phones, PDAs, and tablet PCs;[3] access to this stored information would be based solely on user discretion.[4] The technology would rely on a subscription-based business model.[7]
Although the technology required a Microsoft Passport, it was based on cross-platform, open standard web services, including SOAP, UDDI, and WS-Discovery, which enabled interoperability with compatible systems without requiring Microsoft Windows.[4]
After .NET My Services was announced on March 19, 2001, Microsoft intended for it to reach broad developer availability at that year's Professional Developers Conference, with a subsequent end-user release scheduled for 2002.[7] However, due to industry concerns related to anti-competitive behavior and end-user privacy, the company ultimately abandoned the initiative before it could fully materialize.[8]