Yahoo! Messenger today announced its plans to deliver a next generation version of its real time communications service designed specifically for the Windows Vista operating system. I spoke with a Yahoo representative and he told me that this will be a completely new version of the software specifically designed for Windows Vista.From the newswires:
This upcoming beta software of Yahoo! Messenger will bring together the fun, personal and interactive communications features offered by Yahoo! Messenger with the high-fidelity visual capabilities of Windows Vista. To quickly bring to market a service that delivers on the high expectations of users, the Yahoo! team used the Windows Presentation Foundation framework to build dynamic features on top of the easy to use, core communications features in Yahoo! Messenger.
"We are developing a remarkable Yahoo! Messenger experience that is one-hundred percent at home in the Windows Vista environment and delivers a visually sophisticated interface our users will love," said Jeff Bonforte, senior director, Real Time Communications, Yahoo! Inc. "We plan to bring together the best of Yahoo! Messenger's easy-to-use communications suite and Windows Vista's dynamic platform to provide an engaging experience with rich animations, increased personalization, and instant access to friends."
"Microsoft is pleased to work closely with industry leaders like Yahoo!, which is developing a new version of Yahoo! Messenger that will provide a truly engaging communications experience with Windows Vista, said Brad Goldberg, general manager for Windows Client at Microsoft Corp. "Yahoo! Messenger for Windows Vista will clearly deliver the ‘wow' moments that fulfill the promise of Microsoft's new OS."
Yahoo! Messenger for Windows Vista will combine features that are optimized and only available for users of Windows Vista along with a cinematic UI providing rich animations and visual design. Building upon the connection and self-expression features that Yahoo! Messenger users know and love, the next generation software will include the following:
• Connect with friends and family via instant message, voice, video, and more
• Instantly customize the Yahoo! Messenger interface
• Use the integrated Yahoo! Messenger gadget in the Windows Sidebar to keep up with friends
• Add Yahoo! Messenger and Windows Live Messenger friends to the contact list and see when they are online
• Keep conversations organized by dragging and dropping them into one tabbed window
• Interact with interest groups (i.e. Fantasy Football league) in fun, themed environments
• Supercharge IM conversations with enhanced video
• Easily access photos from the desktop or Flickr to share with friends & family
• Enhance conversations with new animated emoticons, program icons and sounds
• Take advantage of high resolution displays with a scalable vector-based UI
• Personalize conversations with, Avatars, fonts , colors, and all-new emoticons
• Share files instantly with friends by dragging & dropping them into the conversation window
• Keep friends' contact information at your fingertips with direct access Yahoo! Address Book and Yahoo! Messenger Contact List
Yahoo! Messenger for Windows Vista will be initially available in public beta in the coming months, and will be available in multiple countries around the world. For more information on the all-new Yahoo! Messenger for Windows Vista, and to be notified when the software becomes available, please visit: http://messenger.yahoo.com/vista
