MSN (The Microsoft Network) is a collection of Internet services provided by Microsoft. The Microsoft Network debuted as an online service and Internet service provider on August 24, 1995, to coincide with the release of the Windows 95 operating system.About.com - Microsoft timeline and profile

The range of services offered by MSN has changed significantly since its initial release in 1995. MSN was once a simple online service for Windows 95, an ambitious experiment at interactive multimedia content on the Internet that was ahead of its time, and one of the most popular dial-up Internet service providers.

Microsoft used the MSN brand name to launch and promote numerous popular web-based services in the late 1990s, most notably Hotmail and Messenger, before reorganizing many of them in 2006 under a new brand name, Windows Live. MSN's Internet portal, MSN.com, still offers a wealth of content and is currently the 6th most visited domain name on the Internet.

MSN Classic

The concept for MSN was created by the Advanced Technology Group at Microsoft, headed by Nathan Myhrvold. MSN was originally conceived as a dial-up online content provider like America Online, supplying proprietary content through an artificial folder-like interface integrated into Windows 95's Windows Explorer file management program.

Then officially known as "The Microsoft Network," the service launched along with Windows 95 on August 24, 1995. MSN was included with Windows 95 installations and promoted through Windows and other Microsoft software released at the time. Product support and discussion was offered through the MSN service, as well as information such as news and weather, basic e-mail capabilities, chat rooms, and message boards similar to newsgroups.

Open access to the World Wide Web was not originally included in the classic MSN service, but Internet access was quickly offered through Microsoft's Internet Explorer web browser, which was available as a download from the MSN service or as part of the Windows 95 Plus! package.

MSN 2.0

In 1996, in response to the increasing relevancy and rapid growth of the Internet, Microsoft renamed its existing MSN service to "MSN Classic" and created a new version, called "MSN 2.0," which combined access to the Internet with web-based multimedia content in a new program known as the "MSN Program Viewer." The service was promoted to existing MSN subscribers beginning October 10, 1996; the general release followed on December 10, 1996.New Web-Based Version of The Microsoft Network Debuts - October 10, 1996Microsoft Announces General Availability of The Microsoft Network - December 10, 1996