Microsoft recently introduced a new feature to its Windows Live accounts – the ability to link your different Windows Live Accounts together, so that you can switch between your different accounts in just two clicks. This is a feature I have been missing very badly in my Google Accounts. I have over 10 Gmail and Google Apps for Domain mail accounts, which I find very difficult to manage. I hope google will also follow Microsoft in enabling integration of multiple Google Accounts.
When two or more of your accounts are linked together, you can switch from account to another by clicking on your Live ID on the top right corner and selecting the new account from the drop down list. Previously you had to logout of your current session and re-login to access the second account. Now you can check your different Live mail accounts without logging in to each account separately.
I used to find it quite annoying when checking my site stats with Google Analytics, since my Analytics account is tied with a Google Account different from my primary email address. On logging in my gmail account, I get logged out from my Analytic account and on logging in to Analytic my gmail inbox also switches. Adsense, Gmail and Orkut allows you to login to multiple accounts at the same time, but not Analytics or Webmaster Tools. Fortunately, after starting this blog, I moved my primary email address to this domain and is powered by Google Apps for Domain. Hence I strongly feel that this new feature is going to be a great time saver for many of the Windows Live account holders.
But there is a small downside to this great new option. If you are not careful with each account, someone may access all your accounts as all your linked accounts are equally important now. Suppose somebody hacks into one of your account (or steals the password from your system), then the person has all your accounts at his disposal. So make sure that each account is secured with a strong password. Also never link your personal accounts with shared or group accounts.
You may visit LiveSide, if you wish to know more about the recent update.
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