Is Microsoft also attempting to take on Facebook?

Following the launch of Google+ a few weeks ago, it looks like Microsoft are also working on their own social network.

A page for the new project, known as Tulalip (not the catchiest name ever, is it?) appeared on Microsoft owned domain Socl.com.

The page had the tagline “you can find what you need and share what you know easier than ever” and featured log in buttons for Facebook and Twitter.

It was taken down and replaced with a message which says:

“Thanks for stopping by.  

Socl.com is an internal design project from a team in Microsoft Research which was mistakenly published to the web. 

We didn’t mean to, honest.”

An accidental leak or done on purpose to create a buzz? Who knows, but the question on everyone’s mind at the moment is can Microsoft take on the internet giants at social networking? And what will they offer than Facebook, Google, Twitter and all the others aren’t offering?

For the time being we’ll just have to wait and see but we can be sure they’ll be hoping it’ll be more successful than their attempt to take on Apple (anyone remember the Zune??)