Top > Webmaster > 2006 > November > 2006-11-19

Yahoo Puts Instant Messenger into Email Service

The internet is used by most people as their primary communication tool, especially when work is involved. Instant messaging services and email boxes become an everyday tool that most surfers, if not all, use. Yahoo Inc decided to make our lives easier and released a new version of its email service that incorporates instant messaging capabilities. Yahoo`s rival, Google, was the first to offer such email options, but Yahoo`s Instant Messenger is one of the most popular stand-alone instant messaging applications, and its integration with Yahoo`s email is expected to be most welcome by users.

Google combined its Google Instant Talk software into Google Mail, but Google Instant Talk was never a major hit as its own, not like Yahoo Instant Messenger which enjoys high popularity. Yahoo demonstrated the new service during a Web 2.0 conference and displayed the new user interface. Once clicking on an online contact, the interface changes from the standard email look ? to the familiar chat window of Yahoo Instant Messenger.

The new platform enables users to interact with other Yahoo mail clients that are online at the same time as they are. Instead of sending an email that will be read in an undetermined time, users can send instant messages that will display on the contact`s email interface, and can be answered quickly and easily. Yahoo`s instant messaging service has many features and options that were not incorporated in the new email platform. Once of those features is Video calls. A spokesperson said that Yahoo is considering when will be the right time, and the right manner, to incorporate Video capabilities into their new email-instant-messaging interface.