Microsoft, Yahoo link their instant messaging systems

Microsoft, Yahoo link their instant messaging systems

Steven Parker on 27 September 2006 - 12:13 · 16 comments & 8276 views

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Yahoo and Microsoft announced that they would tear down the wall between their formerly exclusive instant messaging services and allow members to mingle beginning today.

The union of Yahoo Messenger and Windows Live Messenger systems would create the world's largest combined IM network with nearly 350 million users, the US companies said in a joint release.

Users will need to install the latest versions of Yahoo and Live messaging software to make connections. The companies said the programs would be available for free download from their websites.

The rival Internet firms had been testing the message system link since July with "beta" software released on a limited basis.

News source: Yahoo!

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#1 idoia on 27 Sep 2006 - 12:24

trillians & company end?

(1 reply) #2 Colin-uk on 27 Sep 2006 - 14:00

now all they need is AOL intergration, and possibly Jabber

#2.1 RealFduch on 28 Sep 2006 - 12:13

And AOL needs to die :-)

#3 hopecon on 27 Sep 2006 - 14:51

*google talk integration

haha just kidding

(2 replies) #4 flyakite on 27 Sep 2006 - 14:53

It won't be the end of Trillian or any other all-in-one client because at the end of the day, the Microsoft and Yahoo clients still suck. They are bloated with tons of juvenile 13 year old MySpace type crap that it amazes me that anyone wants to use them. The only reason I could ever invision using the 1st party client is for video and audio support, however I do neither while chatting so it doesn't matter.

#4.1 Kushan on 27 Sep 2006 - 16:14

Last I checked, Trillian wasn't much better.

#4.2 vlsi0n on 27 Sep 2006 - 20:31

I think Live messenger is great how it comes. But then if you want to could change it useing some patches...

#5 SooperDoode on 27 Sep 2006 - 19:48

Sadly, Trillian never updates. the new Yahoo 8.0 is terribly bloated and slow but Trillian doesn't come close to having the features it has (even if they are hidden under all the crap).

#6 Kreuger on 27 Sep 2006 - 20:01

Is allowing interoperability not enough? I like Yahoo on it's own. Or maybe, it'll get them to update their Linux version and then it'll support msn too. Not that it matters, I won't switch from amsn. But it's nice to speculate.

#7 lylesback2 on 27 Sep 2006 - 21:51

it was final today? i have been getting popups about yahoo for weeks now

(2 replies) #8 ieatlint on 28 Sep 2006 - 00:09

350 million ... hah, no way. How many of you have an msn accont and a yahoo account? Congratulations! You're now two people who can talk to eachother on the "same" network!

It's like when Oracle claims they lost $1m in sales because 10 geeks pirated their enterprise edition of their database software -- we all know that lonely geek at home would've otherwise paid for it...

#8.1 Rodrigo on 28 Sep 2006 - 02:25

You pretty much have lived under a rock this past 10 years, right?

I can't believe you are even arguing MSN and Yahoo have the most users in IM.

#8.2 Qumahlin on 28 Sep 2006 - 02:57

Quote - Rodrigo said @ #8.1

You pretty much have lived under a rock this past 10 years, right?

I can't believe you are even arguing MSN and Yahoo have the most users in IM.

Yes, the network with the most users is QQ. QQ is the network used in mainland china, and has over 221 million active users

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QQ

(2 replies) #9 DaViD_BRaNDoN on 28 Sep 2006 - 04:58

Makes me wonder... anyone still uses ICQ?

#9.1 eilegz on 28 Sep 2006 - 07:15

i still use icq and its a great product too bad that people here are ignorant and prefer msn over icq =/

#9.2 RealFduch on 28 Sep 2006 - 12:19

I use ICQ more, but I can't name anything that ICQ has better than MSN

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