Yahoo to Merge IM with Webmail Client

By Ed Oswald | Published November 9, 2006, 6:09 PM

Yahoo said Thursday that it plans to integrate a Web-based version of its instant messaging program into the next beta of its Yahoo Mail Web application. The new client, which uses AJAX technology, is expected to debut early next year.

Google has already integrated Google Talk into Gmail, however they use separate interfaces. Yahoo's implementation would combine the two into a single interface, executives say. The move is aimed at improving the user experience.

When responding to e-mail, in addition to allowing users to reply they could opt to instant message the contact instead if he or she is online through Yahoo Messenger. If the IM option is selected, a window for the instant messaging conversation appears within the e-mail client to continue the conversation there.

While at the current time only conversations with Yahoo Messenger users are supported, the company plans to eventually bring interoperability features with Windows Live Messenger users to the client as well.

Starting chats with users would be as simple as one click, with the option to continue through an e-mail message if a participant so desires. Eventually the company plans to also allow archiving of chat sessions, executives say.

With Yahoo's latest move, only Microsoft and AOL now do not integrate instant messaging with their e-mail clients. While both Hotmail and Windows Live Mail both show online/offline status, instant messaging conversations are connected through the company's stand-alone application.

"Users will quickly get used to flipping quickly between email and IM depending on "presence" - whether or not the person they are communicating with is online," Michael Arrington wrote of the service in the TechCrunch web log Thursday. "We continue to prefer Yahoo Mail over Gmail because Yahoo Mail allows POP access to third party email services, whereas Gmail only allows access to Google's own email service."

Comments

I am loyal user of yahoo and i know yahoo provide best services to the user and i am not going to compare what's the services google have and what's yahoo have not.

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"We continue to prefer Yahoo Mail over Gmail because Yahoo Mail allows POP access to third party email services, whereas Gmail only allows access to Google's own email service"

May be I didn't quite understand what you exactly expect but forwarding and POP access are there in Gmail too and it is supported for quite a few mail clients.

And, though its individual's taste, but I simply love the emails arranged in a conversation apart from other goodies they offer. For me Gmail is THE BEST.

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Hi tomar_sk, The advantage of yahoo! mail over gmail is that you could download mails from other service provides to yahoo! mail box. If you need further explanation please let me know. Certainly yahoo! is one of the best email in the world. But compared to gmail it takes more time to load and when attaching it takes more time since unlike gmail we have to wait until completes the attachement process. During that time we could not type the mail which is certainly yahoo! should look at it. Especially people like me often connect to the internet using dialup connection connection time is certainly a factor.

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Very good!
Muito bom!

***Brazil***

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I like the integration of Google Talk with Gmail, especially how they handle chat history.

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Hopefully it will be as good as they claim. I currently use yahoo and I love the interface. Great use of ajax, and it works flawlessly.

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This is why I quit using Gmail. I don't need or want the infernal messenger integrated into my email.

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In Gmail, just click "standard without chat" at the bottom. It saves your preference across sessions.

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I figured that out shortly after they added the messenger. I guess that wasn't the only thing that prompted me to switch. I just never really cared for the interface. I like Yahoo and Windows Live Mail better as far as the interface goes.

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*sigh* Why can't email just be email?

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Why not? I think it's a great idea, have two things in one.. obviously there are those who think it's not, but they aren't the target audience anyway.

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"We continue to prefer Yahoo Mail over Gmail because Yahoo Mail allows POP access to third party email services, whereas Gmail only allows access to Google's own email service."

Even though it is like this, I won't use yahoo.

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interesting, , will M$$ follow suite an do the same?

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Microsoft has had this feature since 2004. I worked on it when I was at Microsoft and filed a patent on it.

http://www.mess.be/msnme...sages_with_Hotmail.html

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No one can be like Gmail
All of yahoo and Hotmail
are step backward GMAIL
this is why i love gmail
it made me have 3 GB email rather than 2 or 4 MB
this is the Difference

..........................................
ONLY GMAIL ...............................
..........................................

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