You are here: silicon.com > Hardware > Desktops

Desktops

IM for the suits

Yahoo first to offer grown up instant messaging

By Tony Hallett

Published: 7 October 2002 15:15 GMT

Yahoo! has released a version of its instant messaging (IM) software aimed at business users.

IM has become popular both at home and at work, though IT managers have long worried about security and control issues such as keeping track of exchanges which aren't usually recorded in the same way as emails.

Yahoo! Messenger Enterprise Edition 1.0 uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption from VeriSign and will tie in with corporate portal and directory software from companies including BEA, Novell, Oracle and Tibco.

Yahoo! will allow users to customise IM interfaces and is touting interoperability with its consumer product, though the company admits interoperability to the same degree as email is still far away. Microsoft and AOL - which also owns the ICQ IM brand - make up the triumvirate of dominant IM software providers.

Steve Boom, MD Yahoo! Enterprise Solutions Group Europe, told silicon.com: "We believe IM will become as, or almost as, ubiquitous as email. But [in terms of cross-vendor interoperability], there hasn't been a lot of progress in recent memory."

IDC estimates there are already some 20 million users of IM at work, a market which will reach 300 million by 2005.

The Yahoo! Corporate IM offering will be offered as a service with a starting price of $30 per user per month. It will be available from "early Q1".

  1. Zones
  2. Management
  3. Networks
  4. Software
  5. IT Services
  6. Hardware
  1. Verticals
  2. Public Sector
  3. Financial Services
  4. Retail & Leisure

Bethan Jones Can I use a netbook as my everyday work machine? Part II silicon.com sub editor reveals whether her netbook delivered

Seb Janacek Magic Mouse - Apple's best ever? Minority Report: After years of disappointment, one Mac lover has hope


  • Jobs
Service Activation Technician, Ethernet Services, Cisco R&S, London

The successful candidate will have: - Service Delivery of Ethernet Services experience - Hands-on experience of configuration of switches and routers ...

Senior Technical .NET Developer

C#, .NET, Data Synapse, DataSynapse, Tibco EMS, Developer, Architecture, Grid, Front Office, Investment Banking A Top Tier Investment Bank is looking ...

Application Support- Team Lead - London - Perm

Perl/shell, JavaScript, vbscript) JAVA JMS/TIBCO Messaging Informatica Power Center Autosys Weblogic Excellent communicator, good with users, able to ...

Agenda Setters 2009
Welcome to the ninth annual Agenda Setters poll – silicon.com's list of the top 50 most influential individuals in the technology and IT industries, from techies and CIOs to entrepreneurs and business leaders. Find out more in our latest special report.





Quick Sitemap Links: