According to a press release on October 12, users will soon be able to instant message cross-platform between Yahoo Messenger and MSN Messenger. The joint release states, “Yahoo! and Microsoft plan to introduce these interconnectivity capabilities between MSN Messenger and Yahoo! Messenger to customers around the world in the second quarter of 2006, and in doing so expect to help make IM an even more useful part of consumer’s online communications and communities.”I’m a faithful user of both programs and have an equal number on contacts on each IM. There are things I like about both. Yahoo, for example, still allows me to send/receive messages while appearing “offline”. This is a key feature when I need to work without interruption, yet be available for my clients should they need an answer to a quick question.

MSN has some nice options like sharing applications and the whiteboard. Using these features, I can actually show my clients how something will look without having to upload it live to the Internet. It also allows me to better explain concepts during an initial consultation.

Both messaging programs offer built-in Internet radio, emoticons, transcript logging, games, voice and audio.

If these two IM powerhouses can work together to bridge the communication between the two messengers… what can I say but “WOW!”.

The full release can be read at MSN Press Pass - http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2005/oct05/10-12MSNYahooMessengerPR.mspx or at Yahoo Media Relations - http://docs.yahoo.com/docs/pr/release1265.html.

Tags: Internet