Top of Microsoft's list is the Windows Live Messenger client, providing a access to a text chat service also supporting users of Windows PC sand Windows Mobile devices.
According to the company, Xbox Live users already send more than two million text and voice messages per day. Windows Live Messenger and Xbox Live relationships will be unified so existing Messenger buddies' gamertags will appear.
"Bringing the largest IM community in the world, Windows Live Messenger, to Xbox 360 makes sense, as Xbox LIVE has really become the largest social network on television," said Jerry Johnson, product unit manager of Xbox Live at Microsoft.
Text chat will be supported through a virtual keyboard or an external USB keyboard. A new keyboard accessory for the Xbox controller will be released by Microsoft later in the year.
Among the other features of the Spring Update are improved Achievement notification, visibility of friends' Xbox Live Arcade activity, automatic shutdown after downloads are complete, support for H.264 and MPEG-4 video, the ability to stream Windows Media protected content from a PC, and checking for adequate space before items are downloaded, giving the user the opportunity to delete unwanted items if necessary.
More details can be found at Xbox.com.
The Spring Update can be downloaded beginning this week.
What else is in the Xbox 360 Spring Update?
Having dealt with the matter of tougher territory controls, what else will Xbox 360 users find after they install the Spring Update?
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Stephen Withers
Stephen Withers is one of Australia¹s most experienced IT journalists, having begun his career in the days of 8-bit 'microcomputers'. He covers the gamut from gadgets to enterprise systems. In previous lives he has been an academic, a systems programmer, an IT support manager, and an online services manager. Stephen holds an honours degree in Management Sciences, a PhD in Industrial and Business Studies, and is a senior member of the Australian Computer Society.
