Microsoft Launches Windows Live Messenger

Microsoft has launched the public version of Windows live messenger. Before now only the invite only beta version was available for a select few but now anybody can download the application and use. This is beleive to be microsoft responce to the growing popularity of skype and another furray into the voip market. With windows live messenger you can make text, audio and video chat with other users with exeptionally good audio and video quality. Users can also setup a sharing folder with their friends and can drag and drop photos and other stuffs into this folder. The sharing folder can be seen even when one of you is offline. Soon users will also be able to talk to Yahoo messenger with voice. This interoperation with yahoo will futher increase the size of the worlds lagest IM network. This will also not be good news for skype which does not interoperate with any IM or VoIP client because of its proprietary architecture. Another feature is the ability to make pc-to-phone calls with really good audio quality to any regular phone in the world. Microsoft uses Verizon for termination and not IDT/Net2phone as was the case in NetMeeting. At the moment Windows live messenger does not support any SIP device. Time will tell if yahoo messenger with voice and now windows live messenger will cut into skype popularity in the voip terrain, skype by far still remain the primary voip client for lots of people. I personally found the fact that windows live messenger does not support SIP based devices and SIP-based termination provider dissapointing. I believe SIP based voip which allows easy interoperation is the best way to go for the industry. Interested? download it Here