MSN (Microsoft Network) is an Internet service provider established by Microsoft on August 24, 1995, and was released with Windows 95. MSN was originally a paid service similar to CompuServe and AOL, providing dial-up Internet access, value-added information, chat rooms and other services, but it also allowed other existing Internet users to use it through the Internet. Later, the popularization of the Internet enabled Microsoft to transform most of the originally charged projects into free MSN portals. This was the second stage of MSN's life. After Microsoft acquired Hotmail, it continued to reintegrate its services. Especially after its ".NET Passport" certification technology matured, MSN expanded its Hotmail, MSN Messenger and MSN Spaces services, the latter of which is a service that integrates blogging, music, and photo storage. Often people refer to MSN Messenger as MSN. Although this is not an accurate statement, it is more correct to use MSNM. At present, Microsoft has stopped using the service brand "MSN Messenger" and switched to "Windows Live Messenger", referred to as "WLM".