MSN was birthed in controversy and was then somewhat of a joke in the online community for several years. But about five years ago, MSN found its groove. Since then, this Microsoft division has become the most unheralded success story at the software giant, all while consistently nipping away at past perceptions and prejudices. Most important, perhaps, MSN is also making headway against the competition. While online giants such as AOL, Google, and Yahoo! still stand in its way, MSN has unleashed a startling array of integrated products and services over the past year. And this, I'm told, is just the start.

So here is the story of MSN's rebirth as an Internet services powerhouse. In part one, I quickly examine the convoluted history of MSN, which has been repurposed and re-imagined repeatedly during its decade-long life. In part two, you'll learn about the internal reorganization that finally put the division on the right path, the new customer-centric mantra that drives all of its product development, and its historic decision to take on Google in search. In part three, I'll examine MSN's other services, including MSN Messenger, MSN Spaces, and MSN Music, and Hotmail.