Microsoft, Yahoo hook up instant message networks

[ponto]

Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc. will link up their free instant messaging services to create a combined community of 275 million users, the companies said on Wednesday.

The deal comes as they take on entrenched messaging leader AOL and market newcomer Google Inc..

The deal, the first major alliance between two of the Web's main providers of instant messaging, will allow users of Microsoft's MSN Messenger service and Yahoo Messenger to swap instantaneous text messages with each other.

Up to now, such interoperability has been restricted to users within each service.

read more (http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=internetNews&storyID=2005-10-12T160729Z_01_MUN205613_RTRUKOC_0_US-MICROSOFT-YAHOO.xml&archived=False)

[Foxy]

I like the idea as long as stays free for personal users like myself. Both have features that I like. In yahoo I can actually call someone on my buddy list, I would like that feature to be availble to my MSN buddies that don't use Yahoo messenger.

[tiger_n2_dragon]

The last paragraph:

"Microsoft has already opened up its corporate online messaging service, which requires a license and offers more features, to AOL and Yahoo. Unlike free messaging services, corporate messaging lets businesses install instant messaging within corporate networks, where conversations can be monitored and saved, much like enterprise e-mail."

ok so, they're going to offer a free version, with less features than the paid version? How far does this merge extend, into the chat rooms as well? Yahoo's chat is free and loaded with features. On the other hand MSN chat is only available to those who will pay for it. Both offer free messenger's. My point, MSN CAN'T compete with Yahoo so they decided to buy them out, or does Yahoo now want a piece of the pie?

[kcredden]

To be honest, The need for interoporatablity dissipeared years ago, when Trillian came out. With it, Yahoo, MSN, AIM and ICQ are all in 1 program The only problem, is when one of the companies, decide to do a bit of tinkering to stop (briefly) Trillian from being able to offer it on their program.

Now GAIM (http://gaim.sourceforge.net/win32/index.php) does just as good, it's freeware, and takes all 4, plus about a dozen more IM and merges them into one program. Might I also add, it's without ads too?

Trillian, or GAIM. take your pick. Works just fine, no ads, no danger of mal-ware being installed...