Microsoft Plays Me-Too With A Business IM App

In the world of instant messaging, things happen fast. Just a few days ago, AOL revealed plans to offer IM to businesses. Now it's Microsoft's turn.

Microsoft plans to sell an IM software-service combination to businesses in the first quarter of next year. At an annual cost of $24 per user, companies will be able to give employees IM accounts that include some level of control over who's using the accounts and how. The service, called MSN Messenger Connect, logs IM "conversations" and gives a company's IT administrators the ability to audit messages and manage identities.

Vendors are rushing into the market in an effort to stanch the rapid and uncontrolled uptake of consumer IM apps by tech-savvy employees.

Microsoft's service is being developed with input from several major financial firms that have been among the first to wrestle with the IM phenomenon as a fast and efficient way of communicating with customers. Microsoft says companies will be able to use MSN Messenger Connect to communicate with 75 million people who use its MSN Messenger service.

Microsoft is also working on software, code-named Greenwich, that would let businesses deploy and manage IM and other collaboration tools on their own systems. MSN Messenger Connect and Greenwich would eventually be integrated.