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Currently the Head of Business Development Software, Alex Shamash has helped to build Messenger Plus! into the company it is today.
Few people are aware of the true breadth of positive influence Alex Shamash has on Messenger Plus! Since 2003, Alex Shamash has worked as Head of Business Development Software at the company, which is responsible for the Windows Live Chat add-on of the same name. The application, currently in its fifth version, is widely regarded for single-handedly transforming the user experience and interface of Windows Live Chat. At latest count, the company has over 500 million downloads since its launch, with over users worldwide numbering over 60 million and growing.
Messenger Plus!, which is involved in developing tools that protect children on chatting applications, adds an ever-improving selection of functionalities to Windows Live Chat. Their latest version, Messenger Plus! 5, includes log searches straight from the log viewer, a new interface featuring an updated design, user-customizable appearances, and a new social-network-with-chatting-software on their redesigned website. This new social network, MyPlus!, is an innovative concept never before applied to a chatting community and still in its early stages. New applications include Messenger Plus! Live Add-ons, a navigation bar; Plus! Games, a suite of free games; and Plus! Translator, which can be used to translate to and from scores of languages. Each of these accessories has over ten million downloads worldwide.
Before taking his position with Messenger Plus!, Alex Shamash studied at the distinguished University of Manchester, where he earned a combined degree in media studies and business administration. In his free time Alex Shamash enjoys sports, sailing, and cycling; these activities contribute to an active lifestyle that includes supporting many charities, including The Afikim Foundation, Youth Aliyah/Children at Risk, and the innovative charity website JustGiving. Through his work with Messenger Plus!, Alex Shamash has made invaluable contributions to the presence of chatting technology in the consumer experience, and his mark on chat technology will only continue to revolutionize chat user interface in the future.
Alex Shamash's Publications
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New Features for Messenger Plus! 5, Alex Shamash
August, 2011
by Alex Shamash Head of Business Development, Messenger Plus!
Messenger Plus began in 2001 as an add-on to MSN Messenger 3. Since then, users have downloaded the freeware program more than 100 million times. Now a Windows Live Messenger add-on, Messenger Plus! has evolved along with Microsoft’s messenger software, greatly enhancing instant messaging for millions of users.
Most recently, Messenger Plus! released Messenger Plus! 5 with a host of features designed to improve the Windows Live Messenger experience.
1. Advanced log search: Do you need to reference something from a previous conversation? The advanced log search helps you find it by entering relevant terms and searching the content of all logged chats.
2. Skins: These decorative backgrounds allow users to change the look of their Windows Live Messenger.
3. My Plus Account: With this account, users can connect to the program’s Internet-based features such as backups and the skins database.
4. Online logs storage: This feature allows users to store chats and events on a remote computer.
5. Resizable quick panels: Windows Live Messenger users can resize commonly used panels like emoticons and sounds, placing them anywhere onscreen for better viewing.
6. Pre-existing features: Along with the enhanced usability in Messenger Plus! 5, users can still enjoy many of the pre-existing boosts to Windows Live Messenger, including custom sounds, text formatting, and personalized status, among many others.
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Creating a Skin for Messenger Plus!, Alex Shamash
December, 2011
by Alex Shamash
One of the most exciting features of Messenger Plus! is the multitude of user-created skins available for it. Our website offers a searchable database of skins in categories such as Stylish, Retro, Minimalistic, and more. Users can also search for skins by keyword and sort skins by the versions of Windows Live Messenger that they are using.
All that is well and good, but our development team wanted to expand the skinning features of Messenger Plus!, so we launched initiatives to help users develop their own skins. The first tool is integrated into the newest version of Messenger Plus! and is called the Easy Skin Creator. The second is a more robust tool called the Skin Editor, also integrated into the software. We also provide a comprehensive document outlining how to create a skin from scratch.
The Easy Skin Creator is the simplest and quickest way to create a skin. Users can open it through a drop-down menu in Messenger Plus! and from there a wizard will guide them through selecting background images for their contact lists and chat windows and help them choose custom text colors. Seconds later, the users will have a brand new, working skin.
The Skin Editor is a little more complex. It is also accessed through a drop-down menu in Windows Messenger Plus!, but it does not feature a wizard and offers customization options for many more elements of Windows Live Messenger. Changes to windows appear live as they are made, and the editor highlights the element about to change in green so that the users can see what they are doing more easily. Although the Skin Editor can be a little more intimidating than the Easy Skin Creator, users can create truly memorable skins with it.
Finally, for users who want to get the most out of customizing Messenger Plus!, the team maintains an in-depth skinning guide at www.msgplus.net under the website’s Contributors section. The guide covers everything from describing a skin in programming terms to providing reference schemas and information on packaging skins for users who want to distribute their creations to the wider world.
About the Author:
Alex Shamash has served as the Head of Business Development for Messenger Plus! since 2003, overseeing its transformation from a simple add-on into a complex piece of software with more than 60 million users worldwide. His duties include developing products and preparing the next version of Messenger Plus! for launch.
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