Microsoft has experienced a large increase in the number of registered users for its Passport service, but most users are signing up to use it for other Microsoft offerings, according to a new survey by Gartner, Inc. The Gartner survey shows Microsoft has managed to double its number of registered Passport users in just six months, from 7 million who were registered in August 2001 to 14 million who were registered as of February 2002. However, Gartner believes that Microsoft's requirement of the Passport service to access its other offerings -- such as Hotmail, Windows XP, and Microsoft Messenger -- is a much more powerful incentive for registration than is consumer interest in using Passport features.
|