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Truce in Instant Messaging Wars?

Standards task force weighs options in AOL-Microsoft spat.

  

In the latest episode of America Online versus Microsoft for Interoperability in Instant Messaging, we were ducking flying accusations about hacking and privacy violations.

It seems their only agreements are the concept of interoperability and the need for a real standard for instant messaging.

Both Microsoft and AOL have submitted technical information to the Internet Engineering Task Force, an industry standards body that is drafting a standard for instant messaging. Their purported aim? That users of all services--Microsoft's MSN Messenger, AOL's Instant Messenger or ICQ, Yahoo Messenger, Tribal Voice PowWow, and any interested others--be able to talk with one another.

"We are delighted that Microsoft and America Online are contributing to the development of a standard," says Vijay Saraswat, who leads the IETF's standards committee. Engineers, researchers, and vendors from around the world are developing an open protocol called Instant Messaging and Presence Protocol.

Draft protocol specifications may be available as soon as January 2000. On Thursday a committee will submit an early blueprint of the messaging standard to the IETF Application Group for review and comments.

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