Google and Yahoo to Partner on IM
Most of the attention to the recent Google/Yahoo partnership has focused on the two companies’ search advertising plans, but the deal has implications for instant messaging, too. “In addition,” reads the companies’ press release, “Yahoo and Google agreed to enable interoperability between their respective instant messaging services, bringing easier and broader communication to users.”
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So far, exactly what that means is anyone’s guess. But the IM market could certainly benefit from a little more interoperability. Despite the fact that IM use is on the rise among home users and businesses alike, each separate IM network remains a walled garden, independent of all the others. Getting them to work together– similar to how e-mail works– would benefit everyone.
