An e-mail snafu has led to the leak of Microsoft's decision to shutter its MSN Groups service, according to LiveSide.net. It's not a surprise, as MSN Groups was one of the last vestiges of Microsoft's Web services strategy pre-Windows Live.

MSN Groups will be closing on February 21, 2009. It'll be replaced with a new service, Windows Live Groups, which debuts on November 17.

Here's the catch: The LiveSide post indicates MSN Groups will not be migrating to Windows Live Groups; the new Windows Live service will be different enough so that the transition wouldn't be a clean one. Instead, the LiveSide post says that existing MSN Groups will transition to community site Multiply--in other words, Multiply is effectively acquiring MSN Groups from Microsoft.

Representatives from Multiply, which said earlier this month that it has reached 10 million registered users, confirmed the news. Microsoft representatives released a longer statement: "It is true that we are planning to close the MSN Groups service on February 21, 2009 and will offer you the opportunity to move your group to our new partner service, Multiply. We understand the importance of keeping your group together, so we partnered with Multiply to create a migration process that moves your group to their service to preserve your online community and its history.


SOURCE: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10067137-36.html?tag=rtcol;relnews

Here at Chatzinc we have huge servers and Web space is not a problem.
The transfer tool is an option between MSN and multiply and as i don't have a msn group to test it. I doubt it will work with other sites.
I have posted the main part of thread in America's Survival Group to show that groups created on this groups site can transfer posts but to transfer all your threads would be a big job.

http://www.chatzincgroups.com/groups/orca/topic/A-DECISION-HAS-BEEN-REACHED.htm

I have seen numerous posts across the net of how slow and user unfriendly Multiply is.
We also offer chat rooms which i don't think Multiply will offer.
Any groups who wish only to have a chat room on Chatzinc linked from there group are most welcome as well.

I also have made sub domain groups.
It has direct access to chat and full forum set up for you.
You can submit to me a front page or other pages you want loaded and we can link them from your group.
Even has a chat room on the main page set for guests atm but can be changed for members only.
Check it out here http://www.chatzinc.com/riversedge

Cheers Pk