IM Interoperability: It's the Business Model, Stupid

IM Interoperability: It's the Business Model, Stupid "Last month marked a turning point in the ability for users to communicate across the largest IM networks. Microsoft Inc., Yahoo Inc. and America Online Inc. forged an agreement for letting messages and presence information move between Microsoft's forthcoming Office Live Communications Server 2005 and the three big networks—MSN Messenger, Yahoo Messenger and AOL Instant Messenger
While a far cry from broad interoperability, the deal shone more light on the fact that business issues, and not technological ones, are the major bottleneck to interoperability. As part of the deal, Microsoft officials have said, the IM networks will receive a share of license revenue from the interconnection feature in LCS."