Microsoft, Yahoo to Test IM Interoperability Plan
Microsoft Informer reports that the Yahoo and Microsoft announced last October that they would link their two IM services to allow their users to rapidly transmit text messages back and forth between services.
Currently, Microsoft, Yahoo and Time Warner's AOL operate three of the most popular and widely used IM systems in the world, but none of them work well together. IM systems have seen a boost in usage rates within businesses and outside the office in recent years, and such interoperability issues have hindered users' ability to quickly communicate with others who employ different instant messengers.
Big Deal!
For years our family has used Trillian a neat program that allows you to use instant messaging services across five different platforms. The best part is Trillian offers a free and a pay version, it works very well and they keep it updated.
I've always hated the idea of having to download MSN instant messenger, Yahoo instant messenger, AOL instant messenger and ICQ, so we don't. Trillian allows us to use them all. We've purchased two copies of Trillian because we use it and enjoy the extra features, like spell checking in the upgraded version. Trillian's free version worked just fine for us though for over two years, until we decided it was worth the money to upgrade.
Who cares if Microsoft and Yahoo have finally decided to play nice with each other. As far as I'm concerned, it's too little too late. We'll stick with Trillian, so long as it still functions after the merge. Personally, I think all these computer companies (especially AOL) should be ashamed of themselves for not making things easier on users years ago.
posted by Annette M. Hall @ 1:22 PM
1 Comments:
GoodNews.
GoodNews, which is FREE, enables you to aggregate just about every RSS, RDF and ATOM feed out there, and will even download the MP3s of media feeds/podcasts for you to the directory of your choice.
Trillian has become my link to the outside world - my news aggregator, which (optionally) pops up a new alert window whenever a site I follow publishes new content, my chat system (it currently controls 8 different profiles across 5 different networks), my email monitor - it tracks receipt of new email on several of my email accounts, and it performs other special tasks for me, too, through a custom remote-control feed I built.
Sure, Outlook 2003 is still where most of my communication comes from, but to lose Trillian would be like losing my left arm. Losing DQSD would be like losing my right arm.
MS and Yahoo are finally hooking up? Who cares. I've got Trillian.
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