Can Microsoft’s Messenger Catch Up?

Paul Stamatiou posted some great thoughts on his site about why Microsoft’s Live Messenger has a long way to go before they understand what it takes to compete in the IM client wars.

I don’t think Paul is too far off at all when he makes the comment below:

The only way I would even consider using Windows Live Messenger would be if it ran on my favorite OS and all my friends used the service as well. Being the major I am however, most of my friends run Linux. We all know that Microsoft will never release a version of their IM client for an alternate OS and since the protocol isn’t open to development, we won’t be seeing a new version of Gaim with Windows Live Messenger support.

or

One huge barrier for getting all those people to switch over is that they have to create a PassPort account and get a hotmail email account. I don’t want all of that extra junk. If Microsoft just made its messenger email independent, as in I can sign in with a gmail or yahoo account instead of a hotmail email address, this would simplify the process greatly.

I would make the statement that although Microsoft doesn’t need to be “worried” about Apple per se, if they really want to start gaining market share again in certain areas, they are going to have to take these types of desires and needs into account. Imagine the opening for communication options if Windows Vista and Office 2007 had a chat client that was either integrated into the applications directly, or an add-on later. If I could, from almost any application, open a chat window and communicate with someone on ANY IM client?

I’m still a Trillian user and am very happy. Don’t have all the “features” the individual clients may have, but like Paul, I’m really just interested in my IM client allowing me to IM people. I don’t really need it to do much else than that.

Source: Why Microsoft’s Windows Live Messenger Won’t Succeed