Yahoo and Microsoft issue messaging challenge

Stan Beer
Thursday, 13 July 2006 11:19

Your IT - Home IT

It is now official. Yahoo and Microsoft are now talking to each other - or rather their users are. The companies have commenced implementation and testing of interoperability of their respective instant messaging (IM) systems in a public trial and the size of their combined user base should make rivals nervous.

Current estimates put the combined user base of Microsoft's Windows Live Messenger (formerly MSN Messenger) and Yahoo Messenger at close to 300 million globally. Microsoft has more than 200 million of those and Yahoo close to 100 million.

The combined Microsoft and Yahoo user base dwarfs all competitors, including the fast rising eBay-owned Skype, which boasts more than 100 million users and AOL Instant Messenger which has less than 50 million users.

In the initial stages of the trial, users of the Yahoo and Microsoft IM systems will only be able to send text messages to each other. However, this is expected to be extended to voice calls at a later stage.

Initially, the test will be limited to a number of users from a range of countries, spanning Europe, Asia (including Australia) and the Americas, who register at the respective Yahoo and Microsoft sites http://messenger.yahoo.com or http://ideas.live.com.