aymanh's Journal: Yahoo and Microsoft IM Merge in Public Beta

After the first announcement last October, Yahoo and Microsoft said they have begun a limited public test to allow users of Windows Live Messenger and Yahoo Messenger with Voice to connect to each other through either service, exchange messages, check their friends' online presence, view status messages and share emoticons. Users can register to a limited public beta at Yahoo or Microsoft. According to a survey done by the U.S. Internet traffic measurement firm Nielsen//NetRatings in June, the estimated unduplicated audience of Microsoft and Yahoo was 43.5 million U.S. users, compared to AOL's 47.2 million users. As for questions on a similar deal with AOL, Microsoft denied to comment, but said that the company "anticipates more of these relationships in the future."