Yahoo! integrate instant messaging into Mail

Beginning February 12, users of the world’s No. 1 Web mail service, Yahoo! Mail, can chat in real-time using a new instant messaging (IM) feature which is seamlessly integrated into the Yahoo! Mail beta (http://new.mail.yahoo.com).

The new feature, built on the Yahoo! Messenger platform, began rolling out to Yahoo! Mail beta users worldwide, and will be available to all users in the coming months.

This deep integration across Yahoo!’s e-mail and instant messaging services enables e-mail users to easily connect to contacts in Yahoo! Messenger’s thriving IM community, without leaving the Web mail experience.

Users can choose to let others know if they are online and available to exchange messages in real time. Users will be able to see the online status of everyone in their contact list as well.

Each instant messaging dialogue will take place in a new conversation tab within Yahoo! Mail beta, allowing people to chat with multiple friends simultaneously, without leaving the e-mail experience. Users can also easily convert instant message conversations into e-mail or vice-versa, for convenience or archiving purposes.

The Yahoo! Mail beta is a true Web 2.0 experience, including a sleek, easy-to-use interface with the speed and responsiveness of a desktop application.  In addition to instant messaging, the Yahoo! Mail beta also features enhanced functionality such as drag and drop e-mail organization, message preview, an integrated calendar and an RSS reader.

Like the classic Yahoo! Mail experience, the new version is a free, browser-based service, accessible from virtually any computer connected to the Internet, without the need for a software download.

“Yahoo! is focused on making it easier for people to connect to those who matter most to them,” said John Kremer, vice president, Yahoo! Mail.  “By bringing Yahoo! s leading instant messaging capabilities into the globally familiar Yahoo! Mail, we’re making e-mail an even more social experience.”

Launched in October 1997, Yahoo! Mail is the world’s largest, most popular free e-mail provider.  Yahoo! Mail helps people stay in touch at home, at work, or while traveling for business or pleasure, and is available in 21 languages.

Yahoo! Mail is fully integrated with Yahoo!’s many other popular services to make it easy to access all the Internet services people need.  Yahoo! Mail has recently received the Best of Web award from PC World, and was awarded Editors’ Choice by both PC Magazine and CNET.