Microsoft officially rolled out the next version of its Windows Live Services tonight, with a heavy emphasis on socializing its online offerings and giving users better tools to share all sorts of information from across the Web within them.

Microsoft (MSFT) said the changes–similar to those made by Yahoo (YHOO) and Time Warner (TWX) online unit AOL recently–would “begin rolling out to customers in the U.S. over the coming weeks and will be made available globally in 54 countries and in 48 languages by early 2009.”

You might call its the “Facebooking” of Windows Live, which is the brand name for Microsoft’s communications and other related online services aimed at consumers, especially because the much anticipated changes also include a new profile and a “What’s New” feed.

So, if imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg should feel beloved by Microsoft, since both are direct borrows of two of the social-networking site’s most prominent features.

(See many screenshots of the newly refreshed Window Live services below.)

But don’t call it a social network, said Brian Hall, who is the general manager of the Windows Live unit, in a lovely breakfast interview with BoomTown yesterday.

“No one wants to sign up for another social network,” said Hall. “But everyone does want to be able to share and bring together all they do on the Web, and we want to make sure all our users can do that in the easiest way possible.”

(Sadly, the video I did with Hall–who is Seth Rogen lookalike, and I mean that in a good way–got eaten up in my new Flip MinoHD software, which was entirely due to my boneheadedness.)

But, in it, Hall underscored that Microsoft is now fully committed to opening Windows Live Services up to whatever consumers want to do with their online lives and wherever they want to do it.

And, indeed, the “next generation” of Windows Live will inject social elements into its Photo Gallery photo sharing, Hotmail email, Spaces groups and Messenger instant messaging offerings, as well as Microsoft’s calendar and mobile products.

The move will also more significantly integrate many third-party partners into the mix. Microsoft’s outside partners announced tonight include Flickr, LinkedIn, Pandora, Photobucket, Twitter, WordPress and Yelp. (See the full list below.)

Microsoft also announced alliances with Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) and China Telecom to deliver Windows Live services.

Microsoft says there are more than 460 million Windows Live customers (its instant messaging offering accounts for a bulk of this number and will see the most socializing impact), but is bowing to the obvious and inevitable trend of consumers creating and sharing all over the Internet.

But, said Hall, Microsoft is also sticking to its mantra of “software plus services” here, noting that consumers want the existing tools they use now regularly to become more social, rather than having to abandon them.

Microsoft is also launching its Windows Live Essentials, which are free widgets that can be used across a range of devices and places, such as personal computers, mobile phones and on Web sites.

Finally, to let users store all that content and information, Microsoft said it is also increasing its Windows Live SkyDrive online storage offering from 5GB to 25GB.

Here are the screenshots of the new Windows Live services (click on them to make them larger):

Windows Live Home Page

Windows Live Profile Page

Windows Live Messenger Page

Windows Live Web Activities Page

Windows Live Groups Page

Partner Integration for Windows Live

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So, as readers of this blog know by now, I can get a little obsessed with certain digital companies or topics, sort of like a geek version of “Kolchak: The Night Stalker.”

Except, the werewolves BoomTown has been trying futilely to kill come in the form of juvenile widgets!

Over the last year, of course, I have been majoring in the foibles of Facebook and the tribulations of Yahoo, with a minor in studies of Internet video and online content creation in Hollywood.

While I have posted on a huge host of topics, companies and from all over the world, the drilling down has been a good thing in that the column has broken a lot of stories on our area of expertise and also has developed less idiotic analysis over time.

And don’t get me wrong–I love the relentlessness that blogging provides. Let’s be clear: Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and Jerry Yang of Yahoo remain on my most wanted list.

But it is time to widen the circle and add new Web companies to stalk to our repertoire and I welcome reader input.

So, here is a list of some digital companies I am thinking of zeroing in on next:

1. Amazon: For the love of Kindle, Jeff Bezos sure knows how to hold on and keep on trucking. In a previous life, BoomTown covered retail for seven years (that is a lot of time being forced to contemplate Wal-Mart) and even covered Bezos when he was just starting out.

2. eBay: A kissing cousin to Amazon, the development of commerce on the Web has not been properly scrutinized and it will be interesting to see how this company fares in its post-Meg Whitman phase.

3. HP: While it seems a tad dull, I like the idea of looking closer at this important tech company as it moves further into the digitization of all its businesses.

4. Microsoft: Need we ask? Between its wacky investment in Facebook to thwart Google to its full-scale attack on Yahoo to thwart Google to its nonstop efforts to thwart Google, something must have gotten in the water supply up in Redmond. Seriously, it is easy to portray the software giant as incompetent when it comes to Web issues, but we like its recent chutzpah.

5. Hollywood: Disney, CBS, Viacom, News Corp., Time Warner and the rest of those old-media outfits have always been a focus here, but as convergence ratchets up, it is important for techies to really be up to speed on what they are up to.

6. Apple: We can’t let that friggin’ Fake Steve Jobs get all the funny lines, can we? No, we cannot.

7. AOL: After two books, you might think I would be colossally bored with the perpetually stumbling icon. Not so! Until it vanishes, a la Netscape soon enough, I shall probably be compelled to follow it to the ends of the earth.

As to topics, here’s what I think is interesting going forward: multi-touch technology becoming more widespread; data portability (and not because of Scoble!); privacy related to social advertising; genomic and body hacking; and the opening up of the mobile experience.

As always, I welcome any and all suggestions. Except, of course, if it’s another werewolf widget.