MS Acquires Onfolio, Refreshes Toolbar

Microsoft announced late Tuesday that it had acquired research and information company Onfolio, integrating its technology into the new Windows Live Toolbar. The add-in would allow users to collect and organize information they find on the Internet, Microsoft said.

The Toolbar also gives users of Internet Explorer for Windows XP an integrated RSS reader. RSS technology will be built into Windows Vista and the next version of Internet Explorer.

"The Windows Live mission is to harness the power of the Web in a way that lets people easily find the information and pursue the interests that deepen their relationships and enrich their lives," Windows Live Search corporate vice president Christopher Payne said.

Payne says the acquisition of the privately owned company fits in with Microsoft's strategy as helps deliver on that mission.

Information collected with Onfolio can be annotated with notes, flags, keywords, highlighting and other tools. Users can then share that data or find it through Windows Desktop Search. Microsoft said the RSS support would allow easier access to online information that matters most to the user.

"Onfolio's core competency is providing users with the tools to enable them to save, collect and share that information as they conduct research on the Internet," Onfolio founder J.J. Allaire said.

The latest version of the toolbar replaces the former MSN Toolbar, which Microsoft first unveiled in 2004.