New Live Messenger In The Works

Steve Ballmer, Microsoft’s CEO gives a sneak of the next version of Microsoft’s Live Messenger to a university in Brazil during a speech on cloud computing.

Some of the new Windows Live Messenger features will include tabbed conversations, the ability to do video chats in HD quality, and updates from other social networks.

Here is Microsoft’s official statement on the upcoming live messenger:

“The new Messenger will provide a great way to have more meaningful conversations with the people you care about most while also bringing together your social networks and sharing updates, cutting through the clutter, and staying up to date with your favorite friends,” Also in a blog post, Microsoft posted: “And of course, as part of our deeper integration with Facebook, later this year Messenger will support Facebook Chat, so you’ll be able to IM all your Facebook friends from within Messenger”

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Microsoft is testing the new version internally and plans to release a beta version in the next couple of months, and a final version before the end of the year.

Great…another version of Live Messenger…..Instant messaging is great, but there are too many out there for people to use….sure you can put your buddies all in 1 client using Pidgin, Trillian, and Digsby, but that means you have to create an account with each messenger service that your friends are on….I wish there was just 1 instant messaging service, it would be much simpler. I am using the beta version of AIM. It integrates Facebook with AIM. I do have a handful of friends on MSN Messenger, but don’t need to IM them that often, so I just use AIM. For the iPhone I use a program called Meebo that lets you load all your instant messenger accounts in 1 client kind of like Trillian, Digsby, and Pidgin. I rarely use it because it drains the battery fast, but it’s a nice program.