Microsoft and Yahoo’s agreements to link their messaging platforms, MSN Messenger and Yahoo Messenger, appear to be unfulfilled, as this linking feature is notably absent in the latest versions of both messaging applications.
On June 20, Microsoft released MSN Messenger 8, introducing several unique new features. Not to be outdone by its competitor, Yahoo quietly launched the beta version of Yahoo Messenger 8, aimed at frequent voice call (VoIP) users.
The voice calling capability of Yahoo Messenger has significantly improved in the beta version 8. It seems that Yahoo is determined to challenge Skype, which currently dominates the VoIP market.
New additions are primarily commercial, including integrations with platforms like eBay and Amazon.com, along with various other extensions that users can find and install here. This add-on feature allows users to customize their messaging apps to connect to any desired websites or services.
Yahoo Messenger 8 Beta also marks the beginning of integration between Yahoo Messenger and Yahoo 360°, a free blogging service. Users will receive popup notifications for any changes on their Yahoo 360° account. This version supports importing a nickname list of up to 1000 entries and includes sound effects in conversations. The file transfer feature has also been upgraded, allowing transfer sizes of up to 1GB.
However, users are disappointed that both the new Windows Live Messenger and Yahoo Messenger versions do not support connectivity between each other, contrary to the agreement made between Microsoft and Yahoo last September.
Yahoo Messenger 8.0 Beta and Windows Live Messenger 8.0.0787 can be downloaded for free from Yahoo and Microsoft’s websites.
