[This is preliminary documentation and is subject to change.]

The Live Framework is a software-plus-services platform and experience that enables computers and other digital devices to work together. Individuals and organizations can use the Live Framework to manage, access, and share their files, data, and applications seamlessly on the Web and across their various devices. Out of the box, the Live Framework synchronizes users’ data and files to all devices in their Mesh. After the data and files are stored in the Mesh, users can access them from anywhere, including from a standard Web browser.

You can write both desktop and Web applications that take advantage of the Mesh's capabilities for storage. In addition, with the Live Framework, you can also benefit from a unique type of application, called a Mesh-enabled Web application that is deployed and managed in a users' Mesh. The application works on a local version of the application data and can use local computing resources to provide a richer user experience. The Live Framework seamlessly synchronizes both the Mesh-enabled Web application and its data across users' devices. These applications bring together the advantages of traditional Web applications (access anywhere, ease of deployment, automatic upgrades, and security) with the advantages of desktop applications (speed, richer user experiences, and the ability to work with limited or no connectivity).