- June 23, 2008
Google already working on Yahoo Messenger integration — or has been for a while?
As part of the search ad deal signed last week, Google and Yahoo announced they would make their instant messenging service, Google Talk and Yahoo Messenger, interoperable. Knowing that it took Gtalk and AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) a couple of years to link up after plans were initially announced, I wasn’t optimistic for this functionality anytime soon. But some interesting screenshots may have changed my mind.
Google lays out the history of Gmail chat in pictures, in a post on the Official Gmail Blog today. One of these pictures (seen below) is particularly interesting because it appears to show the smiley face emoticon associated with Yahoo Messenger.
The emoticons Google uses are different. As are the ones AIM and others use. It’s pretty clear from the image at the top of the story that this is the Yahoo emoticon.
Perhaps even more interesting is that Google states that these screenshots are from “a couple of the early ideas we tried out.” Just how long has Google been close to integrating Yahoo Messenger? Was Yahoo “cheating” on IM partner and Google rival, Microsoft (the two signed an IM deal in 2006), well before the two sides’ recent search ad deal?
8 Responses to “Google already working on Yahoo Messenger integration — or has been for a while?”
Nice observation! I hadn’t noticed the Yahoo! smiley when skimming through the blog’s post today. However, I don’t quite believe Yahoo! was “cheating” on Microsoft. Perhaps, when Google started designing, they had in their minds that they would integrate with a few other messenger services, as they have with AIM.
By Dee on Jun 23, 2008
Ya I did notice , Is this feature enabled or is to come ?
By Musafir on Jun 24, 2008
It is good to see that Gchat linking up with YM. I am a user of Gchat, Ym, and MSN, and I am happy to see this happening. This way I don’t have to turn on all my instant messengers but still can chat with all people on my lists.
There should be auto save for this as well. I love Gchat!
By Hannah on Jun 24, 2008
I am extremely happy this is on it’s way. However, I need Gchat to also integrate with Windows Live Messenger before I can fully commit to Gchat. A single, unified Instant Messenger client is a piece to the puzzle I’m still waiting for from Google.
By DetroitUSA on Jun 24, 2008
hello………………….this is very nice plateform to us for chat with our heart closer frnd…
namaskar
karan
By Karan on Jun 24, 2008
Yeah, having YIM through Gchat would be great! I love being able to access my AIM through it already, and I use YIM too, so it would be nice to have them all through the same service.
By Chad on Jun 25, 2008
i use gmail to send emails, and i use a hotmail accout to IM people.
however i dont use windows messenger. its slow, fiddly, and too hard to use talking to others.
i use meebo (its an online web messenger.)
works with everything, and i can sign into all 3 of my accounts at once (i have a yahoo account too)
some integration would be good, maybe then i would actually use messenger.
havnt tried gchat yet, but gmail is by far the best account ive ever used
By me. on Jun 30, 2008
it would be better if yahoo would make its chat/messenger protocol open source. I dont know if google talk is OSource. it should be if its not.
Then let the programmers make their own integrated messengers.
Im sure the result would be better.
bye.
By Fernando on Jun 30, 2008