The MSN product team at Microsoft is seeking testers for the MSN 9 beta program. The beta is expected to begin in September and may last until January of next year. This test comes on the heels of arch rival AOL's announcement of AOL 9 Optimized, a special version of the client catered toward broadband services.

With MSN 8.5 as its latest official version, Microsoft is striving to leap ahead in the numbers game.

But MSN 9 is off to a slow start. The final release was expected to ship in the fall of 2003, but according to the timeframe of the beta test, that date has slipped back to January 2004 at the earliest.

"We are looking for a group of participants that are excited about the program and willing to provide useful feedback throughout the entire beta period," MSN beta coordinators wrote in an invitation e-mail.

"The beta period is currently expected to run from September through January and will require you to log onto MSN at least once a week. Please make your decision carefully. Your feedback is crucial to the success of our product, and therefore, regular and consistent participation throughout the entire program will be needed."

Little information has emerged on MSN 9, but details are expected soon. Those interested in signing up for the beta test can visit Microsoft's BetaPlace and log in using the guest ID: MSNBeta1.